In case you missed it: Feb. 5

The big news today, of course, comes via the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) monthly report on unemployment. In January, the unemployment rate fell to 9.7 percent, a five-month low, down from 10 percent in December. The number of unemployed persons also decreased to 14.8 million.

However, the population of discouraged workers continues to rise, hitting 1.1 million in January. The BLS defines discouraged workers as "persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them." This number is up from 734,000 the same time last year. Employers cut 20,000 jobs in January, yet temporary employment rose by 52,000.

Some other headlines:

SHRM: More Employers Will Hire in February 2010. According to the Society of Human Resource Management's LINE® Report, a monthly survey of HR managers in more than 1,000 companies nationwide, February 2010 hiring will rise, compared to the same time last year. In particular, HR managers expect an uptick in hiring in the manufacturing and service sectors this month.

The Wall Street Journal: Budget Boosts Labor Funds To Combat Workplace Fraud. President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal 2011 includes $14 billion to fund Labor Department divisions pertaining to workforce development and safety, $1.7 billion for worker protection programs, and $25 million to hire enforcement officials to target independent contractor misclassification.

Also, for additional talent management resources and discussions, check out this list of the top 25 blogs in the talent management space, as ranked by Fistful of Talent.