December 2019 Employment Situation — 2020-01-10

(NOTE: This news release was reissued on February 21, 2020, to correct data in table A-5 on veterans and nonveterans. The population controls used in the weighting of veterans and nonveterans data were incorrect in the original publication. All differences between the original and corrected tables were minor, and the text was unaffected.) Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 145,000 in December, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in retail trade and health care, while mining lost jobs. In December, the unemployment rate held at 3.5 percent, and the number of unemployed persons was unchanged at 5.8 million. A year earlier, the jobless rate was 3.9 percent, and the number of unemployed persons was 6.3 million.