Manufacturing employment rose by 8,000 jobs in December, with gains in durable goods but losses in non-durable goods.
Durable goods industries added 24,000 jobs for the month, according to a breakdown by sector released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in non-durable goods slid by 16,000.
Transportation equipment was the largest job gainer in durable goods, up 15,200 jobs. That included an increase of 7,400 jobs in motor vehicles and parts.
The auto industry continues to enjoy high demand for trucks and SUVs. Supply chain issues, such as a continuing shortage of computer chips, have held down output. Automakers have moved to improve supplies of semiconductors but the shortage is forecast to continue this year.
Other durable goods sectors with employment increases included machinery, up 3,300 jobs, and fabricated metal products, up 2,900.
Among non-durable goods, the biggest job loser was chemicals, down 5,700.
Manufacturing totaled 12.934 million in December on a seasonally adjusted basis. That was up from 12.926 million in November and 12.555 million in December 2021.
In 2022, manufacturing added an average of 32,000 jobs a month, the bureau said in a separate statement. That was slightly better than the average monthly gain of 30,000 jobs in 2021.
The Federal Reserve Board is raising interest rates to reduce inflation. The Institute for Supply Management has forecast a slow economy for the first half of this year. The group’s manufacturing index indicated the sector contracted in November and December after 29 consecutive months of expansion.
Total non-farm employment rose by 223,000 jobs in December, the bureau said. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected a gain of 200,000 jobs. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent from 3.7 percent the month before.
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