In December 2024, employers added 256,000 new jobs across the United States (compared with an average monthly gain of nearly 200,000 for the previous 12 months). The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1 percent.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported that most of the new jobs in December were in two areas:
- Health care
- Government
- Social assistance
Health care
Employment in health care rose by 46,000 jobs in December. Most of the new jobs were in home health care services, nursing and residential care facilities, and hospitals.
While most healthcare provider jobs require specific training, licenses, or certifications, you can get started as a certified nursing assistant with a few months of training (find a certified nursing assistant training program in your area; they generally last from 4 to 12 weeks). Other openings for people new to health care are in customer service positions or administrative jobs at all levels.
If you already have health care experience or credentials, visit the Job Finder to search for jobs near you. You can use the Business Finder to identify health care facilities near you.
Watch the Health Sciences overview video or Careers in Health Science video to learn more about the health care field.
Then visit the Local Training Finder to learn more about health care training and credentialing options.
Retail trade
Retail trade added jobs in December, following a job loss in November. Employment increased in clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers; general merchandise retailers; and health and personal care retailers.
Most retail jobs are in person and you can search for “retail” or the type of store you are interested in at Job Finder. You can also search the Business Finder for stores and other retail opportunities near you.
Leisure and hospitality
Employment in leisure and hospitality changed little in December, adding about 43,000 jobs. Leisure and hospitality added an average of 24,000 jobs per month in 2024, which was about half the average monthly gain of 47,000 in 2023.
Learn more about this field in this overview video of hospitality and tourism or explore hospitality and tourism careers.
Want to know more about your local job market for leisure and hospitality opportunities? Visit the Business Finder and search for local businesses such as restaurants, entertainment spaces, hotels, or more. Then visit the Job Finder to search by keyword, business name, or job title.
Manufacturing
Employment remained steady in manufacturing in December. The manufacturing industry includes jobs that produce products and equipment—from commercial products such as concrete, metals, chemicals, and machinery, to personal products like computers, clothing, toys, and food and beverages. Customer demand for products continues to rise, so new jobs may be more likely here in the coming months as manufacturing plants begin producing more products.
Learn more about manufacturing in this overview video of the manufacturing industry or explore manufacturing careers.
Want to know more about your local job market for opportunities in manufacturing? Visit the Business Finder and search for local by the keyword "manufacturing". Then visit the Job Finder to search by keyword, business name, or job title.
Construction
Construction employment also remained steady in December.
Learn more about the construction industry in this overview video of architecture and construction or explore architecture and construction careers.
Learn more about your local job market for construction by visiting the Job Finder to search by keyword, business name, or job title.
Transportation and warehousing
Employment in the transportation and warehousing industry remained steady in December. with some gains in couriers and messengers and warehousing and storage.
Job openings in this industry range from entry-level warehouse and fulfillment jobs to logistics and operations manager positions. Also in demand are commercial driving jobs, which require a CDL license that can be earned in less than two months (locate a local CDL training program near you).
Learn more about this field from the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics overview video, or explore Careers in Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics.
Visit the Job Finder to search for transportation or warehousing jobs near you.
Professional and business services
The number of professional and business services jobs also remained stable in December. Many jobs in this field are in management and technical consulting services, architectural and engineering services, and scientific research and development services. Many jobs in this industry can be remote or hybrid positions.
If you have experience in any of these fields, you can search local job postings, or find a remote or virtual job.
Don’t have training or experience in a professional service? There are still many work-from-home options in customer service and other areas. Visit Find a Remote Job and enter keywords for job types you're interested in to see what might be a good fit for you.
Education
Employment in education also remained relatively steady in December.
View these videos to learn more: Education and training overview or Education and training careers.
Visit the Job Finder to search for education jobs near you.
Earnings
Employees' average hourly earnings rose by 10 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $35.69 in December.
