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The latest employment summary from the U.S. Department of Labor finds employment levels in U.S. manufacturing declined by 8,000 jobs in December.
Meanwhile, the overall jobs report found the U.S. economy added 50,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.4%. Employment gains were led by food and drinking places, health care, and social assistance.
Additionally, the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey finds that unfilled positions in the manufacturing sector fell to 394,000 as of November 2025, compared to 426,000 unfilled positions in October.
Meanwhile, a more in-depth look at the data from the Labor Department finds some notable gains—and losses within specific subsectors. Let’s take a look:
In December, losses were seen largely in nondurable goods, which lost 5,000 jobs. The durable goods sector, which includes industries like transportation equipment and machinery, lost 3,000, for a total loss of 8,000 jobs. Next, we’ll explore gains and losses in specific industry subsectors.
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Employment losses in December were spread out across most sector and were seen most heavily in plastics & rubber manufacturing (-4,900 jobs); chemical manufacturing (-3,100 jobs); machinery manufacturing (-2,800 jobs); and furniture (-1,200 jobs).
Additional marginal losses were seen in paper products; nonmetallic minerals; wood products; apparel manufacturing; and fabricated metals.
December was not without its manufacturing job gains. Miscellaneous manufacturing added 1,800 jobs; beverage, tobacco, and leather & allied products manufacturing gained 1,400; printing and related support activities rose by 1,200 jobs; and transportation equipment manufacturing also gained 1,200. Other slight gains were seen in textile product mills; petroleum and coal products; and navigational instruments.
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Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm
Editor's note: This article is updated on the first Friday of every month, based on the latest data released by the Department of Labor.