The unemployment rate fell in 45 of the 50 U.S. states in January, the government reported Tuesday, indicating that most of the country is benefiting from an improving economy and labor market. The Labor Department said only New York state reported a higher unemployment rate in January than the previous month. Jobless rates were unchanged in four states. January's performance was better than that of December, when unemployment rates fell in 37 states, were unchanged in 10, and rose in three. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent in January from 8.5 percent the previous month. Employers added a net 284,000 jobs in January, the second-highest monthly total in six years.
