But the rate rose for an encouraging reason: More Americans started looking for work, though not all of them found jobs immediately. The proportion of adults who are either working or looking for work reached its highest point since September. Friday's report depicted an American job market that is generating consistently solid hiring and encouraging more people to start looking for work. And he suggested that the sharp hiring gain in January reflected improved confidence among employers about his administration. January's solid job gain coincides with other data suggesting that the economy might be picking up after a sluggish 2016.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 03, 2017 18:20 UTC