WASHINGTON (AP) — Construction companies posted a stellar month of hiring in January, fueled by demand for homes and renovations. The sector added 36,000 jobs as residential builders and contractors ramped up business. Over the past year, construction companies have been among the strongest sectors for job growth.
Education and health accounted for 38,000 added jobs last month, while restaurants, bars and hotels added more than 35,000.
The only major sector that lost jobs in January was information, which includes publishing, broadcasting and telecommunications. It shed 6,000 positions, the sector's third month in negative territory.
Overall, employers added a robust 200,000 jobs in December. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent.
| Industry (change from previous month) | January 2018 | December 2017 | Past 12 months |
| Construction | 36,000 | 33,000 | 226,000 |
| Manufacturing | 15,000 | 21,000 | 186,000 |
| Retail | 15,400 | -25,600 | -36,000 |
| Transportation, warehousing | 11,100 | 11,600 | 148,700 |
| Information (Telecom, publishing) | -6,000 | -1,000 | -37,000 |
| Financial services | 9,000 | 6,000 | 121,000 |
| Professional services (Accounting, engineering, temp work) | 23,000 | 25,000 | 448,000 |
| Education and health | 38,000 | 39,000 | 470,000 |
| Hotels, restaurants, entertainment | 35,000 | 37,000 | 342,000 |
| Government | 4,000 | -6,000 | 15,000 |
| Source: Labor Department |