The government's report on the job market in January offered fresh hope that the economy is at last pulling out of its worst downturn since the Great Depression.

For the estimated 8.4 million people who lost their jobs to the recession, however, the data offered little cause for celebration.

Friday's report left many economists, investors, employers and job seekers scratching their heads. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found in its survey of large employers that some 20,000 jobs were lost overall in January. But the separate survey of households showed a gain of more than a half-million jobs, which pushed the jobless rate down sharply to 9.7 percent from 10 percent.