Hiring surges in January as Americans flood into job market

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FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2019, file photo, Gory Rodriguez, of Starbucks, right, interviews a job applicant during a job fair at Dolphin Mall in Miami. The January U.S. jobs report on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, may provide timely evidence of the U.S. economy's enduring health. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

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Hiring jumped last month as U.S. employers added a robust 225,000 jobs, bolstering an economy that faces threats from China’s viral outbreak, an ongoing trade war and struggles at Boeing. A half-million people streamed into the job market, though not all of them found work. That influx meant that more people were counted as unemployed, and it boosted the jobless rate to 3.6% from a half-century low of 3.5%. The jobs report signaled that businesses remain confident enough to keep hiring.