Health care was a bright spot once again for the U.S. economy in January, even as overall job growth showed signs of slowing.

U.S. employers added 143,000 jobs last month, somewhat fewer than forecast, while unemployment fell to 4 percent and hourly earnings rose.

A column chart titled "Monthly change in US jobs ... has been a major contributor to job growth. There are already widespread reports of layoffs at organizations dependent on federal government ...

Average hourly earnings in January jumped by 0.48% (5.9% annualized), the biggest increase since June 2023. Read more here.