U.S. Lost 598,000 Jobs in January

Washington, D.C. The nation lost 598,000 jobs in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the unemployment rate jumped to 7.6%.

About 3.6 million jobs have disappeared since the recession began in December 2007 — half of those in the past three months, according to BLS.

“It’s also important to keep in mind that the job market is local — the most recent unemployment rates coming out of major metropolitan areas like Milwaukee, Baltimore, Boston and Washington, D.C., for example, reflect much brighter employment pictures than other regions of the country,” said Tig Gilliam, CEO of Adecco Group North America, in a statement.

Overall, 11.6 million Americans were unemployed in January.