1. Home
2. Daily News
3. Legal sector loses 4,400 jobs in January…

Careers

Legal sector loses 4,400 jobs in January after reaching employment high-water mark in December

By Debra Cassens Weiss

February 5, 2024, 9:39 am CST

The legal services sector lost 4,400 jobs in January after reaching all-time highs in November and December, according to seasonally adjusted and preliminary figures released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The sector had 1,187,800 jobs in January and 1,192,200 jobs number in December, a figure that was revised upward from the initial December number reported last month.

The December number—as well as the revised November number of 1,188,100 jobs—outpaced the previous high of 1,187,900 jobs set in July 2022.

The sector gained 3,100 jobs in November and 4,100 jobs in December before losing 4,400 jobs in January, according to the revised figures. The numbers for January and December are still preliminary.

The jobs number is based on payroll jobs for attorneys and staff members working at law firms providing legal services. The jobs data can change in recent monthly revisions, as well as the annual look-back process.

Reuters and Law360 are among the publications covering the jobs report.