The U.S. economy added only 36,000 jobs in January—almost 60 percent fewer than in December, the Labor Department reported Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 9 percent, the lowest level in two years, because over half a million people without jobs found work. But the Labor Department figures, which track the number of new jobs created, were a sign that the labor market continues to lag behind the rest of the economy, which grew at a rate of 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. Severe weather in January likely contributed to the lack of new jobs as harsh snowstorms cut into construction employment.
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