Larger Payroll Gains Signal U.S. Job Market Healing: Economy

January’s increase in employment and revisions showing even bigger gains in prior months point to a healing in the U.S. job market that will help consumers better cope with a higher payroll tax.

Employers added 157,000 workers following a revised 196,000 advance the prior month and a 247,000 surge in November, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. Revisions added a total of 127,000 jobs to the count in the last two months of 2012. A separate survey of households showed the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent.