U.S. economy adds a disappointing 199,000 jobs in December

Hiring sign
(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The U.S. economy added significantly fewer jobs in December than expected.

The Labor Department said Friday the economy added 199,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate declined to 3.9 percent. It was a disappointing number after economists had expected over 400,000 jobs would be added, according to CNBC. "Employment continued to trend up in leisure and hospitality, in professional and business services, in manufacturing, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing," the Labor Department said.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.