The nation’s mining and logging industries saw a loss of around 2,000 workers in June, making it one of five sectors to experience job losses last month, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
Other sectors with declines in employment include the wholesale trade industry, off by 6,600 jobs; and both the manufacturing and business services industries with losses of around 7,000 each.
Overall, the country saw an increase of around 147,000 new jobs last month, significantly higher than the consensus expectations of economists who predicted an increase of, at best, around 117,500.
The largest gains were, ironically, seen in the same sector that President Trump has been trying to reduce: government, with an increase of 73,000 jobs. A leader for the last year in job creation, the nation’s healthcare industry, hired more than 51,000 new workers in June.
The leisure and hospitality industry, meanwhile, was off somewhat from previous numbers, but strong nonetheless with a gain of 20,000 new jobs.
The construction industry was also on the upside, hiring 15,000 new workers in June. Within that segment, according to an analysis compiled by the Associated Builders and Contractors, was an increase of 9,200 in residential building. Residential specialty trade contractors hired more than 6,000 people last month.
In a statement, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said that the latest numbers beat expectations “for the fourth month in a row, with more on the way as businesses bring production back home.”
A possible trouble spot in the new numbers: an ongoing decline in the number of immigrant workers. Notes the publication Forbes: the immigrant labor force has “declined by 735,000 since January 2025.”
Even more, reports Forbes, the economic data does not support the assertion that U.S. workers would fill up the job slots once occupied by workers from other countries.
The BLS numbers also show that the nation’s overall unemployment rate in June stood at 4.1%. That rate has hovered in the range of 4% to 4.2% since May of last year.
The most recent decline in logging jobs reflects an ongoing and possibly future trend, according to the BLS. Even though the average salary for logging workers is at a high of $49,500, the industry is expected to see a 4% drop in available jobs for the duration of the decade.
July 7, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
