U.S. Adds 304,000 Jobs In January As Unemployment Rises To 4.0

The U.S. added 304-thousand jobs in January in a blockbuster report and the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to four-percent. The employment gains are far greater than the 172-thousand new jobs most economists expected due in large part to the government shutdown.  The Labor Department also reported the average wage paid to American workers edged up by three-cents an hour.