(CNN Business) – The US economy added 225,000 jobs in January, while the surprisingly strong hiring pace continues.
The unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.6%.
Employment growth in the construction, medical, transportation and storage industries was particularly strong in January, according to the report of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unusually mild climate in January helped the construction and transportation sectors, Capital Economics chief economist Paul Ashworth wrote in a note.
The monthly change in jobs in the US in the last year.
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Economists expected only 160,000 new jobs in January. In 2019, monthly employment growth averaged 175,000.
Manufacturing jobs decreased for the second consecutive month. The sector was in recession in the last five months of 2019, but the activity of the factory grew in January.
Despite employment figures, markets opened in red on Friday. On Thursday the three big indexes had closed record highs.
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