US Economy Creates 353,000 New Jobs to Kick Off 2024

Health care, retail, and government drive much of the employment gains.

A 'Join Our Team' sign is posted outside a coffee shop on Jan. 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. U.S. job openings fell to 8.79 million in November, the lowest in over two years, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

The U.S. economy created 353,000 new jobs in January, nearly doubling economists’ forecasts, highlighting a solid labor market to kick off the new year.

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent, better than the consensus estimate of 3.8 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).