U.S. hiring accelerates; annual wage growth strongest since 2009

U.S. job growth surged in January and wages increased further, recording their largest annual gain in more than 8-1/2 years, bolstering expectations that inflation will push higher this year as the labor market hits full employment.The unemployment rate was unchanged at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent.The robust employment report underscored the strong momentum in the economy, raising the possibility that the Federal Reserve could be a bit more aggressive in raising interest rates this year.