The surprising 256,000 increase in new jobs in December and a declining unemployment rate is good news, but the latest employment reports masks recent softness in the labor market. The increase in new jobs in December, for example, was centered on just four industries: Health care, government, retail and leisure and hospitality.

Before the strong December jobs report was released, the odds were already low for an interest rate cut in the next Federal Reserve decision on January 29.

The US economy added more jobs than forecast in December while the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday showed 256,000 new jobs were created in December,

Payrolls: 256,000 jobs added in December vs. 153,000 expected, according to economists surveyed by FactSet. Unemployment rate: 4.1%, down from 4.2% in November. Revisions: October

The Labor Department reported that employers added 256,000 jobs in December. Unemployment drops to 4.1%. Read the implications of this report on the Fed policy.

The U.S. labor market added 256,000 jobs in December, a strong showing at the end of 2024, as the labor market revved up toward the end of the year. The unemployment rate also improved, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Employers added 256,000 jobs in December despite uncertainty over President-elect Donald Trump's policies. Unemployment dipped to 4.1%

The economy created 256,000 jobs in December, much stronger than what was predicted by Wall Street experts and more than 40,000 from the previous month, the Labor Department in its report released on Friday.

The U.S. added 256,000 jobs in December, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The number may give the Federal Reserve less incentive to cut interest rates this year.

US hiring picked up unexpectedly in December as employers added 256,000 jobs, another sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of high interest rates. The Labor Department reported Friday that job growth was up last month from 212,

Employers added 256,000 jobs in December, blowing past economists' expectations and signaling that the job market remains resilient in the face of still-high borrowing rates and stickier-than-expected inflation.