Crypto World
Healthcare Still Leads as Job Engine
Job growth varied dramatically by sector last month, though healthcare and social assistance remained stalwart employment engines.
The healthcare sector started off the year strong with the addition of 82,000 jobs in January, after a softer month in December. That’s much higher than the average monthly gains of 33,000 seen in 2025.
The social assistance sector added 42,000 jobs last month. Healthcare and social assistance have been the only consistent industries for job growth for more than a year. Without their gains, the economy would have lost jobs last year. December did show some softening in those areas’ hiring, but that trend dissipated last month.