The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its January employment report indicating that unemployment ticked up to 7.9%. The figures show that U.S. employment rose by 157,000.
Retail trade, construction, health care, and wholesale trade added jobs over the month.
Last month, the BLS December employment report indicated that unemployment remained at 7.8%. The BLS said that jobs increased in construction, professional and business services, and health care; retail trade and public sector jobs decreased.
The BLS surveys about 140,000 businesses and government agencies in order to provide industry figures on worker's employment, hours and earnings in the United States.