U.S. Economy Adds 200,000 Jobs, as Unemployment Remains at 18-year Low

The U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in January as the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1 percent, federal economists reported Friday.Analysts had predicted job additions of about 180,000 jobs last month.The unemployment rate has hovered at the lowest levels since the final months of Bill Clinton's presidency in 2000. It has been slowly declining since a peak of 10 percent in 2009.Analysts caution against drawing overly broad conclusions from a single report, saying the long-term averages provide a better gauge of the country's economic vitality.Politicians, however, often cite the figure to defend their stewardship of the economy or criticize their rivals.  Continue reading...