Payrolls in U.S. Increase 227,000 While Wage Growth Weakens
- Construction, retail drive job gains at American employers
- Jobless rate rises to 4.8%, participation rate climbs
U.S. Adds 227,000 Jobs in Jan., Jobless Rate at 4.8%
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U.S. employers added the most workers in four months while wage growth slowed more than projected, suggesting some slack remains in the labor market.
January’s 227,000 increase in payrolls followed a 157,000 rise in December, a Labor Department report showed Friday in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 180,000 advance. The jobless rate rose to 4.8 percent, and average hourly earnings grew 2.5 percent from January 2016, the weakest since August.