In the month of December, the legal services sector in the United States gained 1,000 jobs despite the national unemployment rate staying at 7.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The added 1,000 jobs in the legal sector contributed to the addition of 155,000 jobs in the United States overall for the month of December, according to the bureau. Despite the increase in the legal industry, other industries across the country witnessed little or no change at all.
The bureau said that the last time more people were employed in the legal sector was in June of 2009. Employment in the industries of health care, construction and manufacturing, food services and drinking places all saw increases in jobs.
For the month of November, the bureau adjusted its preliminary estimates for legal services jobs downward, which reflects the loss of 200 jobs. It was originally estimated by the bureau that there were 200 jobs added in the legal services industry for the month of November.
Even though there was a lot of consolidation through the legal industry in 2012, there still was significant job growth for the industry. Major law firms in the United States merged with foreign and domestic law firms in 2012. Some of those firms include K&L Gates, SNR Denton and Fulbright & Jaworski.