by Calculated Risk on 1/10/2025 08:30:00 AM

From the BLS: Employment Situation

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 256,000 in December, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment trended up in health care, government, and social assistance. Retail trade added jobs in December, following a job loss in November.
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The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for October was revised up by 7,000, from +36,000 to +43,000, and the change for November was revised down by 15,000, from +227,000 to +212,000. With these revisions, employment in October and November combined is 8,000 lower than previously reported.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows the jobs added per month since January 2021.

Total payrolls increased by 256 thousand in December.  Private payrolls increased by 223 thousand, and public payrolls increased 33 thousand.

Payrolls for October and November were revised down 8 thousand, combined.

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in total non-farm employment since 1968.

In December, the year-over-year change was 2.23 million jobs.  Employment was up solidly year-over-year (Although the annual benchmark revision will lower the year-over-year change).

The third graph shows the employment population ratio and the participation rate.

The Labor Force Participation Rate was unchanged at 62.5% in December, from 62.5% in November. This is the percentage of the working age population in the labor force.

The Employment-Population ratio increased to 60.0% from 59.8% in November (blue line).

I'll post the 25 to 54 age group employment-population ratio graph later.

The fourth graph shows the unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate decreased to 4.1% in December from 4.2% in November.

This was well above consensus expectations; however, October and November payrolls were revised down by 8,000 combined.  

I'll have more later ...