U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released the following statement on the January jobs report, which showed that U.S. employment rose by 257,000 last month. 

“The January employment report shows that our economy is continuing to gain momentum in the new year,” said Secretary Pritzker. “Today’s jobs numbers were boosted by increases in the manufacturing sector, which created 877,000 jobs over the last 59 months. The Obama Administration is committed to helping create the conditions for business to grow, hire, and raise wages for American workers by making investments in trade promotion, skills training, and advanced manufacturing, among others. All of these initiatives will boost our economy and America’s competitiveness.”