US Economy Adds 130,000 New Jobs, Unemployment Rate Dips to 4.3 Percent

The U.S. economy created 130,000 new jobs in January, suggesting employment conditions could be improving following months of a sluggish labor market.

Economists had anticipated 70,000 new jobs.

The unemployment rate also slipped to 4.3 percent from 4.4 percent in December—lower than the consensus forecast—according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released on Feb. 11.