The economy added 227,000 jobs in January, more than expected

(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

published 3 February 2017

The U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in January, the biggest increase in four months of solid gains. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast 197,000 new jobs, on average. The unemployment rate inched up from 4.7 percent to 4.8 percent as more people entered the workforce. Average wages rose by 0.1 percent to $26 an hour, resulting in a slightly lower than expected 2.5 percent increase over 12 months, the weakest such gains since August. The first monthly jobs report since President Trump took office showed that his presidency is beginning with a solid and improving employment market. Trump has promised to create another 25 million jobs over the coming decade.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.