For an economy that's rapidly expanding, the usual drivers of job creation sure aren't carrying their weight.

Why it matters: Anemic job growth in key sectors is a sign that there is more underlying weakness in worker demand than the low unemployment rate might suggest. • It makes for a weaker starting point, as companies see new opportunities around the corner to use AI to automate their work. • It's not a new trend: These sectors showed weak job creation or outright job losses for the last couple of years of the Biden administration. • But it is striking that a GDP surge fueled by data center and AI investment hasn't been enough to generate more robust hiring.

By the numbers: Overall employment is up 0.8% over the 12 months ended in September, but the hiring has been driven in si

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