Employment and unemployment developments, January 2004.(Illustration)

Employment rose in January, and the unemployment rate, at 5.6 percent, was little changed. Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 112,000, with job gains in construction and several service-providing industries. Manufacturing employment continued to trend down, but the rate of job loss has moderated in recent months.

Unemployment

The number of unemployed persons was 8.3 million in January and the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent, seasonally adjusted. While little changed over the month, both measures were down from their recent highs in June 2003, when the