Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The unemployment rate and the number of unemployed people saw little change in January, but were measured higher than a year ago when the unemployment rate was 4.0%. The labor force participation rate and the employment-population ratio also remained steady, at 62.5% and 59.8%, respectively.
The construction sector added 33,000 jobs in January, reflecting an employment gain in nonresidential specialty trade contractors of 25,000 jobs. Overall construction employment in 2025 was essentially flat.
The report also included significant revisions, including a drop from an initial estimate of 584,000 jobs added in 2025 to just 181,000.
