National Data Office reports 292,000 first-quarter wage-job gain

The National Data Office said wage-paying jobs rose by 292,000 from a year earlier to 20.828 million in the first quarter of 2026, helped by increases in health and social welfare services.

Health and social welfare jobs increased by 127,000 from a year earlier as social welfare services and health-care activities grew. Accommodation and food services added 59,000 jobs as restaurants, bars and lodging jobs increased. Construction lost 52,000 jobs as specialized construction and general construction jobs declined.

Of the total wage-paying jobs, 15.416 million were continuing positions occupied by the same workers as a year earlier. Another 3.186 million were replacement jobs, where workers changed following retirement or a job change. Business creation or expansion produced 2.226 million new jobs, while business closures or contraction removed 1.934 million jobs.

Compared with a year earlier, jobs held by people aged 60 and over rose 233,000, while positions for people in their 20s and younger declined by 76,000. Jobs among people in their 30s rose 115,000 and those for people in their 50s gained 40,000, while jobs held by people in their 40s fell 19,000. Jobs among people 60 and over increased by 93,000 in health and social welfare, 27,000 in manufacturing and 23,000 in business and rental services. Younger workers' losses included 26,000 jobs in manufacturing and 14,000 each in public administration and information and communications.

The office defines a job as a wage-paying employment position held by a worker, rather than an employed person. A person holding more than one job can therefore be counted more than once. It compiles the quarterly statistics by linking eight types of administrative records, including social insurance, daily-worker income and business registrations.