U.S. added about 225,000 jobs in January, bringing unemployment rate down to 3.5 percent

Hiring jumped last month as U.S. employers added a robust 225,000 jobs, bolstering an economy that faces threats from China’s viral outbreak, an ongoing trade war and struggles at Boeing.

A half-million people streamed into the job market, though not all of them found work.

That influx meant that more people were counted as unemployed, and it boosted the jobless rate to 3.6% from a half-century low of 3.5%.

The jobs report signaled that businesses remain confident enough to keep hiring.