The U.S. unemployment rate was essentially the same in January, at 7.9 percent. The national unemployment rate has been at or near this same number since September of 2012.
The U.S. economy added 157,000 non-farm jobs. Retail trade, construction, health care and wholesale trade all added more jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In terms of unemployment, 12.3 million people were unemployed, a minimal change. The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons, at 8.0 million, changed little in January. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.
The Grand Rapids and Wyoming market had an increased unemployment rate from 5.4 percent in November to 6.5 percent in December.
