With many companies recognizing the value of contract workers obtained through staffing agencies in Phoenix and other cities, the nation's economy is seemingly showing nothing but positive signs.

The most recent monthly jobs report from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that the total nonfarm payroll employment in the U.S. climbed by 200,000 in December, guiding the unemployment rate down to 8.5 percent. Since August, the jobless figure has fallen by 0.6 percent, the BLS noted.

Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago, told Reuters the fact that unemployment reached its low point since February 2009 suggests recovery may be accelerating.

"The labor market is healing, but we still have a long way to go to recoup the losses we have endured. We may be close to a tipping point where gains can become more self-feeding," Swonk told the news source.

Retail trade, manufacturing, healthcare and transportation were the highlighted industries in the BLS report, with each sector gaining at least 23,000 new jobs in December.