This morning at 8:30 est, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Labor Department issued its monthly Employment Situation report for January 2017.

The important parts, in my view:

on the positive side

— the +227,000 new jobs added is an above recent trend figure

–the workforce expanded by around half a million people during January, implying that sa significant number of previously discouraged workers are resuming their search for employment

–wages are rising at a 2.5% annual rate.  Some have expressed disappointment that wages aren’t rising faster, pointing out that the ES estimate of wage gains was higher a month ago.  On the other hand, the overall trend is in the right direction and these numbers can be quirky month-to-month.

on the negative

–the situation for the long-term unemployed is little changed over the past year

—-The number of long-term unemployed (those out of work for 27 weeks or more) is down by about a quarter-million.  But it’s still 1.9 million people, and makes up about 25% of all unemployed

—-The number marginally attached to the workforce (meaning have looked for work sometime within the past year, but not within the last four weeks) is down by 15%.  But their number is still 1.8 million.  Of that figure, 532,000 are discouraged workers (people not looking for work because they think no one will hire them), the same as this time in 2016.

As I’m writing this, the reaction of Wall Street is to emphasize the positive.  However, as the presidential election results show, the economically left behind are increasingly making their voices heard demanding help.