US legal jobs grow as economy sheds jobs

By David Thomas

March 6 (Reuters) - Employment in the U.S. legal sector continued to grow in February, new data released Friday by the Labor Department showed, reaching another historical high even as the broader economy shed jobs and the unemployment rate increased.

The total number of jobs in the legal sector, including lawyers, paralegals, judges and legal assistants, stood at 1,237,600 in February, an increase of 2,600 jobs from January and up 8.2% compared to five years earlier, according to figures released by the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"It’s a good time to be in the legal industry," said John Cashman, president of legal recruiting firm and consultancy Major, Lindsey & Africa.

The U.S. finance sector, which is larger and an important source of income for law firms, added 10,000 jobs in February after losing 30,000 the month before. The overall U.S. professional and business services sector, which includes legal as well as accountants, consultants and software developers, lost 5,000 jobs in February, a 0.02% decline, according to the government figures.

BLS data shows that the U.S. legal sector has added jobs continuously since July 2024, although January and February's job count could still be revised. That stands in contrast to the broader economy -- Friday's employment report showed the sixth decline in nonfarm payrolls by the Labor Department since January 2025 and its second largest.

The overall labor market stumbled in 2025 amid what economists said was uncertainty stemming from President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, which he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies.

Economic uncertainty and complexity both help drive activity in the legal sector, Cashman said.