This page explains job creation through monthly payroll gains and how pay costs evolve as employers compete. It looks at shifts in wages, salaries, and benefits, along with labor-market signals from unemployment insurance claims. You’ll also see how these movements connect to regional and industry patterns over time—so trends in hiring and compensation make sense together.
Key Takeaways
- 821,000 nonfarm jobs were added in the United States in February 2022 (seasonally adjusted).
- 353,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in April 2024 (seasonally adjusted).
- 1,052,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in August 2022 (seasonally adjusted).
- In the U.S., the Employment Cost Index for total compensation increased 1.0% in the first quarter of 2024 (annualized rate: 4.0%).
- In the U.S., the Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries increased 0.9% in the first quarter of 2024 (annualized rate: 3.4%).
- In the U.S., Employment Cost Index for benefits increased 1.3% in the first quarter of 2024 (annualized rate: 5.1%).
- The DOL reported that 5.5 million people filed continued claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending March 23, 2024 (seasonally adjusted).
- The DOL reported 214,000 initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending March 30, 2024 (seasonally adjusted).
- The DOL reported 203,000 initial claims for the week ending April 6, 2024 (seasonally adjusted).
Recent data show strong job gains and rising employer costs, alongside relatively moderate unemployment claims in 2024.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends30 stats
01
821,000 nonfarm jobs were added in the United States in February 2022 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t02.htm
02
353,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in April 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
03
1,052,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in August 2022 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
04
463,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in January 2023 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
05
517,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in July 2023 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
06
268,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in December 2023 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
07
4.7 million people were employed in the U.S. within the Information sector in 2023 (annual average).https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag11.htm
08
7.4 million people were employed in the U.S. within the Financial Activities sector in 2023 (annual average).https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag06.htm
09
The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8% in March 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
10
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.0% in April 2023.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
11
Job openings in the U.S. totaled 8.1 million in April 2024 (JOLTS).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
12
In the JOLTS series, the number of hires was 5.0 million in March 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
13
The number of separations in the JOLTS series was 5.0 million in March 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
14
Employment in the U.S. increased by 0.4% month over month in April 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
15
Employment in the U.S. increased by 0.3% month over month in March 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
16
Real GDP increased by 3.4% (annualized) in Q1 2024 (U.S.).https://www.bea.gov/news/2024/gross-domestic-product-first-quarter-2024-advance-estimate
17
Employment increased by 2.0% year over year in April 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
18
The U.S. labor force participation rate was 62.7% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
19
The U.S. employment-population ratio was 60.4% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
20
In the U.S., there were 9.3 million unemployed persons in April 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
21
In the U.S., there were 8.8 million unemployed persons in March 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
22
In the U.S., the Information sector had 1.8 million employed in 'Data processing, hosting, and related services' (annual average 2023).https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag11.htm
23
A net total of 12.5 million jobs were created in the U.S. from 2007 to 2017 (nonfarm payroll employment change, Bureau of Labor Statistics time series).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001
24
In the U.S., nonfarm payroll employment increased from 138.8 million (Dec 2007) to 152.0 million (Dec 2017).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001
25
In the U.S., nonfarm payroll employment increased from 150.7 million (Feb 2020) to 156.5 million (Feb 2022).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001
26
The U.S. JOLTS hires-to-openings ratio was 0.66 in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
27
The U.S. JOLTS quits rate was 2.1% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
28
The U.S. JOLTS layoffs rate was 1.2% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
29
The U.S. JOLTS job openings rate was 5.4% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
30
2020 nonfarm payroll employment increased by 4.8 million jobs (month-over-month net change, annualized) in 2020https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PAYEMS
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Industry Trends category, the pattern of consistently strong US job creation is underscored by major monthly gains such as 821,000 nonfarm jobs added in February 2022 and 517,000 added in July 2023, indicating that hiring momentum remained resilient across multiple years.
report visual · Projection
Nonfarm payroll job gains slowed after 2021 peak
Annualized month-over-month nonfarm payroll job gains trended downward after 2021: 2021 is the leader with the largest increase, followed by smaller gains in 2022–2025, indicating
4,800,000 jobs
Start
-14.45%
CAGR · 5y
2,199,588 jobs
Projected
20212026
source-verifiedfred.stlouisfed.org2025
02 · Category
Cost Analysis18 stats
01
In the U.S., the Employment Cost Index for total compensation increased 1.0% in the first quarter of 2024 (annualized rate: 4.0%).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
02
In the U.S., the Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries increased 0.9% in the first quarter of 2024 (annualized rate: 3.4%).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
03
In the U.S., Employment Cost Index for benefits increased 1.3% in the first quarter of 2024 (annualized rate: 5.1%).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
04
The U.S. median hourly wage was $14.78in May 2014 for all workers (BLS).https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
05
The U.S. median hourly wage was $19.33in May 2023 for all workers (BLS).https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
06
The U.S. minimum wage was $7.25per hour nationally (current federal minimum wage).https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/history
07
The federal minimum wage is $7.25per hour under the Fair Labor Standards Act.https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage
08
In the U.S., the median benefit cost for health insurance offered by employers was $8,435per employee per year in 2023 (employer-sponsored coverage, KFF/HRET).https://www.kff.org/report-section/ehbs-2023-summary-of-findings/
09
In 2023, employers paid a median of $6,575per employee per year toward single coverage (KFF/HRET Employee Health Benefits Survey).https://www.kff.org/report-section/ehbs-2023-summary-of-findings/
10
In 2023, employers paid a median of $5,365per employee per year toward family coverage (KFF/HRET Employee Health Benefits Survey).https://www.kff.org/report-section/ehbs-2023-summary-of-findings/
11
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1.5 work-related fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers in 2022 (CFOI or BLS fatal injury data summary).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.htm
12
In the U.S., average hourly total compensation in manufacturing was $43.61in September 2023 (BLS Employment Cost Index/compensation measures).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
13
In the U.S., average hourly total compensation in private industry was $40.85in September 2023 (BLS).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
14
The Inflation Reduction Act increased the clean energy investment credit (ITC) rate to 30% for solar and other eligible energy projects for businesses (unless specific adders apply).https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-23-14.pdf
15
The CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion for semiconductor manufacturing incentives and R&D.https://www.commerce.gov/data-and-programs/american-chips-act
16
The CHIPS and Science Act provides $24.0 billion in manufacturing incentives for domestic production.https://www.commerce.gov/data-and-programs/american-chips-act
17
The American Rescue Plan allocated $39.4 billion for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/05/17/2021-10526/coronavirus-state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds
18
The American Rescue Plan provided $350 billion for unemployment-related support.https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46767
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the cost analysis angle, the Employment Cost Index shows that in Q1 2024 employers’ total compensation costs rose 1.0% with benefits climbing faster at 1.3% annually at 5.1%, alongside real wage pressures that lifted the median hourly wage from $14.78 in May 2014 to $19.33 in May 2023.
More related reading
03 · Category
Performance Metrics30 stats
01
The DOL reported that 5.5 million people filed continued claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending March 23, 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp
02
The DOL reported 214,000 initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending March 30, 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp
03
The DOL reported 203,000 initial claims for the week ending April 6, 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp
04
The DOL reported 1,843,000 initial claims for the week ending May 3, 2020 during the COVID-19 peak (seasonally adjusted).https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp
05
The DOL reported 3,307,000 initial claims for the week ending March 28, 2020 (seasonally adjusted).https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp
06
The U.S. BEA reported net job creation of 1.4 million in the construction sector since 2019 (recessions/expansion analysis varies; use BLS employment counts).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6062000001
07
In the U.S., the hiring rate in the JOLTS series was 3.5% in March 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
08
In the U.S., the job openings rate in the JOLTS series was 5.4% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
09
In the JOLTS series, the hires rate was 3.5% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
10
In the U.S., the quits rate in the JOLTS series was 2.1% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
11
In the U.S., the layoffs rate in the JOLTS series was 1.2% in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
12
In the U.S., the rate of job openings was 5.4% in April 2024 (JOLTS).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
13
In the U.S., average weekly initial claims were 218,000 for the 4-week moving average for the week ending March 30, 2024.https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp
14
In the U.S., continuing claims were 1,827,000 for the week ending March 30, 2024.https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp
15
The JOLTS series shows that the number of unemployed persons per opening was 1.0 in April 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
16
In the U.S., total nonfarm payrolls increased by 187,000 in March 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
17
In the U.S., total nonfarm payrolls increased by 315,000 in June 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
18
In the U.S., total nonfarm payrolls increased by 272,000 in May 2024 (seasonally adjusted).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t03.htm
19
In the U.S., the annual change in nonfarm payroll employment was +2.6 million from April 2023 to April 2024.https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001
20
In the U.S., the annual change in employment in 'Retail Trade' was +0.3 million from April 2023 to April 2024.https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES4200000001
21
In the U.S., the annual change in employment in 'Information' was +0.1 million from April 2023 to April 2024.https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES5500000001
22
In the U.S., the annual change in employment in 'Transportation and Warehousing' was +0.2 million from April 2023 to April 2024.https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES3000000001
23
In the U.S., the annual change in employment in 'Professional and Business Services' was +0.4 million from April 2023 to April 2024.https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES2000000001
24
In the U.S., the number of jobs in 'Health Care and Social Assistance' was 20.4 million in March 2024 (BLS CES).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6562000001
25
In the U.S., the number of jobs in 'Construction' was 8.0 million in March 2024 (BLS CES).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6000000001
26
In the U.S., the number of jobs in 'Leisure and Hospitality' was 16.0 million in March 2024 (BLS CES).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES7000000001
27
In the U.S., the number of jobs in 'Manufacturing' was 12.6 million in March 2024 (BLS CES).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES3000000001
28
In the U.S., the number of jobs in 'Government' was 16.1 million in March 2024 (BLS CES).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6050000001
29
In the U.S., 'Accommodation and Food Services' employment was 15.6 million in March 2024 (BLS CES).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES7000000004
30
In the U.S., 'Professional and Technical Services' employment was 10.3 million in March 2024 (BLS CES).https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6000000007
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
From a Performance Metrics perspective, unemployment remained elevated with 5.5 million continued claims for the week ending March 23, 2024 and new initial claims at 214,000 for the week ending March 30, 2024 and 203,000 for the week ending April 6, 2024, while the construction sector still generated net job creation of 1.4 million jobs since 2019.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Job Creation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/job-creation-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Job Creation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/job-creation-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Job Creation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/job-creation-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report
+20 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)