But even more important for the dollar was the average hourly earnings reading, which is quite hawkish and is something the Fed has said it's concerned about.
Overall this latest outturn is consistent with the recent favorable trend in consumer sentiment and would suggest solid gains in retail sales in the coming months.
The reaction is not surprising. The expectations were skewed to the upside.
Assuming that the correlation between interest rates and the dollar does not break down again soon, it suggests that the dollar will remain supported, at least over the short-term.
The attraction of carry trades is in decline, a lot of people will be wary of going into the Icelandic crown.
After the revisions (to December and November), the headline was more or less in line with the consensus.