Total nonfarm payroll employment grew 200,000 in January, an increase from last month’s reading of 160,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, maintaining the lowest level since December 2000.
Private service-providing industries gained 139,000 jobs, led by health care and social assistance services, which added 25,800.
Goods-producing employment rose by 57,000 jobs during the month, as gains in manufacturing led by adding 15,000 jobs in January.
The civilian labor force participation rate was unchanged at 62.7% for the fourth consecutive month. Workers unemployed for less than 14 weeks decreased by 6,000, while the number of long-term unemployed, those jobless for 27 weeks or more, fell by 94,000 and accounted for 21.3% of the unemployed. The number of discouraged workers was 451,000, a 23,000 decrease from a month earlier.
Average hourly earnings rose by 9 cents for a second consecutive month, settling at $26.74. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by 75 cents, or 2.9%. This was the strongest year-over-year gain since June 2009.
Read the BLS release.
