The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today that both total nonfarm payroll employment and the unemployment rate changed little in December.
The report showed that employment continued to trend up in food services and drinking places, health care, and social assistance. Retail trade lost jobs.
Nonfarm payrolls rose by a seasonally adjusted 50,000 for the month, lower than the downwardly revised 56,000 in November and below the Dow Jones estimate of 73,000.
At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, below the forecast of 4.5%.
For the full year, payroll gains averaged 49,000 a month, compared to 168,000 in 2024, according to the BLS.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
