U.S. added 292,000 jobs in December
The United States added 292,000 jobs in December, rounding out a year of steady growth; the jobless rate remained at 5 percent. "The remarkable thing is how consistent employment growth has been over the past three or four years," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told The New York Times. "We're getting at least 200,000 jobs per month on a consistent basis. That's quite an achievement." Many of the gains were in temporary-help services, health care, transportation, and construction, Bloomberg reports.
Payrolls also grew in December, making 2015 the second-best year for employees since 1999 and supporting the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates.
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.