The unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a .4 percent decrease from the previous month.
The new numbers represents the sharpest decline in joblessness since April 2009.
However, the data still only represents a modest net gain of 36,000 jobs, the lowest in four months.
The most significant increase in employment took place within the manufacturing and retail trade industries, which collectively added 77,000 jobs to the economy. However, construction, transportation and warehousing took a hit. They shed a combined total of 70,000 jobs.