2026 Employment Picture
The latest year-over-year comparison by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, updated monthly.
Year-over-year through February, the total number of jobs decreased by 648,000 marking a 0.39 percent decline in total hires. Within the same timeframe, the total number of unemployed grew by 95,000, representing a 1.3 percent year-over-year increase.
Over the same period, the largest year-over-year job losses were for farming, fishing and forestry occupations, which saw a 7.7 percent slump in hires. Natural resources, construction and maintenance occupations, saw the second largest decrease, with a 5 percent decline in total hires. Installation, maintenance and repair occupations saw the third-largest change, with the total number of unemployed moving up by 3.9 percent over the same period.
Year-over-year, the overall unemployment rate grew by 0.1 percent.
—Posted on April 20, 2026
Year-over-year through February, the total number of jobs decreased by 391,000 marking a 0.24 percent decline in total hires. Within the same timeframe, the total number of unemployed grew by 480,000, representing a 6.3 percent year-over-year increase.
Over the same period, the largest year-over-year job losses were for production occupations, which saw a 6.7 percent slump in hires. Farming, fishing and forestry occupations saw the second largest decrease, with a 4.4 percent decline in total hires. Installation, maintenance and repair occupations saw the third-largest change, with the total number of unemployed moving up by 3.7 percent over the same period.
Year-over-year, the overall unemployment rate grew by 0.2 percent.
—Posted on March 23, 2026
Year-over-year through January, the total number of jobs increased by 743,000 marking a .45 percent increase in total hires. Within the same timeframe, the total number of unemployed grew by 474,000, representing an 6.3 percent year-over-year increase.
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Over the same period, the largest year-over-year job increases were for installation, maintenance and repair occupations, which saw a 7.8 percent upswing in hires. Natural resources, construction and maintenance occupations saw the second largest increase, with a 3.2 percent increase in total hires. Transportation and material moving occupations saw the third-largest change, with the total number of employed moving up by 2.5 percent over the same period.
Year-over-year, the overall unemployment rate grew by 0.1 percent.
—Posted on February 23, 2026
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