Economics
Payrolls in U.S. Climb as Jobless Rate Declines, Wages Rise
- Unemployment drops to an almost eight-year low of 4.9 percent
- Hourly earnings increase 2.5 percent from a year earlier
U.S. Unemployment Drops to an Almost Eight-Year Low
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Job growth settled into a more sustainable pace in January and the unemployment rate dropped to an almost eight-year low of 4.9 percent, signs of a resilient labor market that’s causing wage growth to stir.
The 151,000 advance in payrolls, while less than forecast, largely reflected payback for a seasonal hiring pickup in the final two months of 2015, Labor Department figures showed Friday. The jobless rate fell to the lowest level since February 2008. Hourly earnings rose more than estimated after climbing in the year to December by the most since July 2009.