US Added Fewer Jobs Than Expected, Unemployment Rate Dips to 4 Percent

Health care, retail, and government saw the largest number of new jobs in January.

A hiring sign at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City shopping mall in Arlington, Va., on Jan 3, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The U.S. economy added fewer new jobs than expected in January, offset by a lower unemployment rate and stronger wage growth.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country created 143,000 jobs, down from an upwardly revised 307,000 in December 2024.