NEW YORK, Feb 4 (Reuters) – U.S. employment rose far less
than expected in January, partly the result of severe snow
storms that slammed large parts of the nation, but the
unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since April 2009.
KEY POINTS:
* Nonfarm payrolls grew just 36,000, the Labor Department
said on Friday, far less than the 145,000 increase that
economists had expected.
* The government noted that severe weather could have
affected construction payrolls, which dropped 32,000 last
month. There were also large declines in the employment of
couriers and messengers.
* The modest jobs gains are at odds with other data for
January, which had suggested employment growth was picking up
and had raised hopes that the manufacturing-driven recovery was
now spreading to other sectors of the economy.
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