US job growth slows, but unemployment dips to 4%

Job growth in the US slowed last month, but unemployment remained low, in a sign of a solid, if more subdued, economy.

According to a Labour Department report, employers added 143,000 jobs in January, while the unemployment rate slipped to 4% from 4.1%.

The figures set the stage as US President Donald Trump entered the White House promising a major shake-up, including cuts to government spending and the federal workforce, mass migrant deportations and higher tariffs on many goods coming into the US.

The proposals have raised uncertainty about the path ahead for the world's largest economy.