The US economy added 49,000 jobs in January, and
the unemployment rate fell slightly from 6.7% in December to 6.3%
, according to the report released Friday by the Labor Department.
The path of recovery is thus resumed, albeit slowly, after the loss of 227,000 jobs last month, but the situation differs according to sectors and demographic groups.
Employment grew strongly in
commercial and professional services
, as well as in manufacturing and housing, but the leisure and hospitality sector lost 61,000 jobs, after suffering a drop of 536,000 in December.
Construction, sanitation companies and warehouses also cut jobs.
The report also shows
significant
differences between different races and ethnicities: the pandemic has not affected workers equally.
The unemployment rate for the
Latino population was 8.6% in January
, a significant drop from the 9.3% recorded in December.
However, Hispanics still suffer twice as much unemployment as a year ago, before the pandemic.
By comparison, unemployment among whites is now 5.7%.
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All the groups show an improvement compared to December, but specialists indicate that it is the fluctuations of the economic recovery.
"
There is no question that the job market is navigating the pandemic
," Becky Frankiewicz, president of recruiting firm ManpowerGroup North America, told The New York Times.
The figures come out amid the debate in Washington around the
aid plan proposed by the president
, Joe Biden, which calls for greater federal intervention to help families who have lost their jobs.
Democrats took a key step in approving his proposal early Friday.
Biden and Democratic lawmakers are proposing a $ 1.9 trillion package, while some Republicans have proposed a smaller package and others have said it is too early for another round of aid.
The slow economic recovery
The economic recovery that the country was experiencing stagnated significantly with the arrival of winter and the rebound in coronavirus cases.
Faced with uncertainty and lack of income, families cut their expenses as infections increased.
Others wanted to shop and dine out, but had limited options.
Late last year,
many states and local governments required businesses such as restaurants
to close or reduce their services.
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Other areas, such as manufacturing, had a higher demand for goods and new hires.
In the case of the housing market, low interest rates and the pandemic boosted demand.
In the spring crisis, the economy lost 22 million jobs.
At least half of those jobs have recovered, but
millions of people have been unemployed
for a long period, which can make it difficult to return to work.
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"It's difficult to see every month what the long-term impacts will be," economist Daniel Zhao told The New York Times, "but certainly
the long-term economic scars are something that is of great concern to the recovery
.
"
Employment in restaurants and bars has been hit particularly hard this winter, causing a general drop in hiring in December.
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Almost a year after the pandemic devastated the labor market, many experts also predict that
the economy will strengthen
from now on thanks to the boost from the aid package approved in December and the vaccination campaign.
Many also believe that the economy could benefit from more government stimulus.
With information from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.