The U.S. labor market started 2025 — and President Trump's term — in a state of uncanny balance. Why it matters: Unemployment is low and steady, and job growth is chugging consistently forward. It's an environment that allows policymakers at the Federal Reserve and beyond to be patient in deciding what to do next.

Economists had been expecting an overall healthy reading, with 169,000 net new jobs created in the month and the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.1%. The January report, which effectively closes the book on the Biden-era job market,

The US added 143,000 jobs in January, with a drop in unemployment. Find out why wage growth and job gains lead to a hawkish Fed outlook.

The Labor Department has released its first jobs report of the year, covering January 2025. It shows that payrolls grew by 143,000 - somewhat lower than economists’ expectations of 175,000. On the other hand, payroll growth for the end of 2024 was revised up quite a bit. Over the past 3 months, payroll growth has averaged a very strong 234,000.

The economy added a mild 143,000 new jobs in January as massive California wildfires and a cold snap in much of the country acted as a drag on hiring. But the details of the employment report point to a robust labor market that gained strength at the end of 2024.

The January jobs report revealed fewer new jobs than expected but the unemployment ticked down slightly.

The unemployment rate, which is derived from a separate survey, declined to 4% from 4.1% the prior month. Economists expected the unemployment rate to remain unchanged. Average hourly earnings increased 0.5% in January, which was higher than forecast.

While the headline number missed estimates, the January jobs report showed signs of strength investors think will keep rates higher for longer.

Mahoney Asset Management CEO Ken Mahoney talks Amazon earnings and market valuation, plans to build A.I. data centers and what to expect from the January jobs report.