Department of Labor in Washington DC (Ken Lund via Flickr)

Unemployment has been hovering in this area since September, causing some speculation about the state of U.S. economic recovery from the recent global recession. 

ALSO SEE: California Job Growth Halts, Unemployment Remains Steady

"There remain good reasons not to interpret today's data as evidence of acceleration" of recovery, according to The Economist, which cited lower temporary employment and lack of growth in average hours worked. 

The new data was released just one day after President Obama announced that he was shutting down his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, created in 2011 to provide jobs creation advice from business leaders to the Obama administration.

ALSO SEE: Unemployment Applications Drop To Pre-Recession Levels

Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Alan Krueger was cautiously optimistic in his entry today in the White House Blog, "While more work remains to be done, today's employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal from the wounds inflicted by the worst downtown since the Great Depression." The Wall Street Journal sounded the same tone, suggesting that economic growth is slow but steady.

Watch analysts discuss the January report here.

Hear economist Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors take on the report here.

Reach Executive Producer Lauren Madow here.

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