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The US economy added back 49,000 jobs last month as coronavirus restrictions eased and fiscal stimulus from Washington goosed up the economy, the labor department announced today, writes Dominic Rushe in New York. The unemployment rate dropped to 6.3%, down significantly from its pandemic high of 14.7% in April.
While January’s figure marked a return to growth after job losses in December, the number was weak and big problems remain.
Related: US economy adds 49,000 jobs as Biden aims for further Covid relief
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says:
In January, notable job gains in professional and business services and in both public and private education were offset by losses in leisure and hospitality, in retail trade, in health care, and in transportation and warehousing.
Unemployment rate falls to 6.3% in January; payroll employment changes little (+49,000) https://t.co/1Y9cSWJUIB #JobsReport #BLSdata