Legal jobs market bounces back slightly in January

The Labor Department finds the legal sector regained more than half of the jobs lost in December 2011

On the heels of the U.S. economy adding 243,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate dropping to 8.3 percent (the lowest rate since February 2009), it stands to reason that the legal job market also benefitted from all the gains, right?

While that logic didn't really hold up December 2011, it proved true last month as the legal sector rebounded somewhat from the previous month's losses. After dropping 1,800 jobs in December 2011, the legal services sector added back 1,000 jobs, the Labor Department announced today.

This is perhaps a sign of optimism that not only has the U.S. jobs market overall somewhat stabilized, but that the legal jobs market also may right the ship after losing 2,700 in 2011 (down from 41,900 jobs in 2009). 

Continuing that optimism, professional and business services, in which the legal services sector resides, accounted for 70,000 new positions in January

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