Labor Market stays Hot as January Jobs add 353,000
January job gains far outstripped expectations for an increase of 185,000, the latest surprise delivered by a labor market that has defied predictions of a significant slowdown.
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 353,000 in January, and the unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, retail trade, and social assistance. Employment declined in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry.
The full report may be downloaded here: