Leisure and hospitality saw big gains in job growth in January as a swell in hiring at restaurants, bars and casinos catapulted the month's total above 300,000. The construction and education and health sectors also added to their big job gains for the year.
CNBC studied the net changes by industry for January jobs based on the data from the Labor Department contained in the jobs report released Friday. The government said the U.S. economy added 304,000 jobs last month, more than the 165,000 increase expected by economists polled by Refinitiv.
Leisure and hospitality alone added 74,000 jobs, which strong hiring in gambling, recreation and bars and restaurants. Health care and education, which combines everything from outpatient care and social assistance to teachers and professors, posted a net gain of 55,000 jobs, bringing its 12-month climb to 522,000.
Construction also added to a streak of strong job growth in January with a net gain of 52,000 positions. The sector has added 338,000 jobs over the last year.
The manufacturing industry, a priority for President Donald Trump, saw more muted hiring in January when compared with December. The sector added 13,000 jobs last month versus December's additional 32,000. Most of the net gains in manufacturing came from durable goods production, the sub-industry that produces goods with a life expectancies of three years or more, like cars, furniture and machinery.
"In January, employment grew in several industries, including leisure and hospitality, construction, health care, and transportation and warehousing," the Labor Department said in a release. "Within the [leisure and hospitality] industry, job gains occurred in food services and drinking places and in amusements, gambling, and recreation."
Retail trade employment added 20,800 jobs for the month.
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