WASHINGTON–Unemployment in the retail and wholesale trades rose to 5.4 percent in January, up from 4.8 percent the month before, but virtually flat over the year. Throughout the economy, January’s jobless rate held steady at 4.9 percent.
The U.S. Labor Department reported this morning that job growth in furniture and home furnishings stores was flat over the month, leveling at 585,000 people. That was about 500 more than in January 2007.
Appliance and electronics stores did slightly better, with jobs totaling 544,001, up 1,500. Department stores lost around 3,500 workers. And in a reversal of recent trends, non-store retailers, such as home shopping television shows and online sites, lost around 5,600 employees.
