Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor | Feb 03, 2012 1:35PM EST
Transportation and warehousing were among the industries that contributed to the creation of 243,000 jobs in January, pushing the unemployment rate from 8.5 to 8.3 percent, the lowest since February.
The Labor Department report exceeded economists’ expectations. Trucking employment rose by a seasonally adjusted 5,300 from December to 1.323,300 in January, according to government data released Friday.
Water transportation jobs increased by 2,700 to 66,000. Warehousing and storage jobs rose 400 to 652,900.
Rail jobs decreased by 300 to 231,200. The air transportation industry shed 1,000 net jobs, reducing the sector’s total to 454,300. Courier and messenger jobs fell by a seasonally adjusted 1,500 to 519,600.
-- Contact Joseph Bonney at jbonney@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephbonney.