Employers went on a hiring spree in January and drove down the unemployment rate for a fifth straight month to 8.3 percent, its lowest point in nearly three years. The result pointed to a resurgent job market, and it sent stock futures surging. The Dow Jones industrial average futures, which were flat before the report, jumped 95 points.
A burst of hiring in December pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a boost at the end of 2011. The Labor Department said Friday that employers added a net 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest since February 2009. The rate has dropped for four straight months.
The unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than two and a half years, as employers stepped up hiring in response to the slowly improving economy. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate dropped sharply to 8.6 percent last month, down from 9 percent in October. The rate hasn't been that low since March 2009.
Recovering financially after long-term unemployment isn't easy, but it's fairly straightforward: Pay off debts, rebuild savings, and adjust to your new income. Recovering emotionally is far more complicated -- it means retraining your brain and consciously shifting your perspective.
Nicholas, 60, is a paralegal who has been jobless for more than a year, and is worried about the possibility of losing his home in rural Pennsylvania. If he depletes his savings and cashes out of a life insurance policy, he can pay off his mortgage. But is that the smartest move?
Retailers and shipping companies are adding fewer new jobs than they did a year ago. One reason: employers began shopping for seasonal workers earlier than usual, boosting hiring in October. But if holiday retail sales hold up, it could equal more hiring in December.
