U.S. adds 225,000 jobs in January as hiring speeds up, unemployment rises to 3.6%

The numbers: The U.S. created a robust 225,000 new jobs in January to get off to a good start in 2020, reflecting surprising resilience in the labor market despite a contraction in manufacturing and softer economic growth.

The economy has added an average of 211,000 new jobs in the past three months, a marked acceleration from last fall and summer. Unseasonably warm weather in January likely gave hiring an added boost, however.

The unemployment rate, meanwhile, edged up to 3.6% from a 50-year low of 3.5% as more people entered...