How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
North Dakota gained 2,100 jobs in January 2026, ranking it 28th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 593 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

+2.1K

month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)

28th

rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
North Dakota’s job gain of 2,100 January 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 1,300 loss in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), North Dakota gained jobs in 39 out of 60 months. January 2026 had the seventh-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in January 2023 (+3,800) while job growth was weakest in December 2022 (-2,000).

There were 2,100 more jobs in January 2026 in North Dakota than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted

Which North Dakota sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were accommodation and food services, state government, and local government. Accommodation and food services added 600 jobs, more than the entire economy. State government gained 500 jobs, while local government added 500. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

The health care and social assistance sector gained 200 jobs during January 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in North Dakota (January 2026)

How does North Dakota's job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has lost an average of 17 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 550, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 2,100 on average every month in 2015 to a gain of 2,300 on average every month in 2011.

In 2025, North Dakota lost an average of 17 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among four metro areas at least partially in North Dakota during January 2026 ranged from a loss of 200 jobs in the Grand Forks, ND area to a gain of 1,000 jobs in the Fargo, ND area metro area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within North Dakota

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.