Washington, DC, January 7--Employers in December added 157,000 workers to their payrolls, bringing the year-end total of new jobs to 2.2 million, while the unemployment rate held steady at 5.4%, according to the Labor Department.
Nonfarm payrolls grew by 157,000 last month after an upwardly revised 137,000-increase in November, the Labor Department said Friday. Department revisions showed 34,000 additional jobs were created in November and October than earlier believed. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.4%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires and CNBC had called for a 175,000 increase.
The Labor Department also revised its estimates of job growth for November and October, saying employers added 137,000 jobs in November and 312,000 in October. Previous estimates showed a 112,000 increase in November and a 303,000 increase in October.
The report showed manufacturing jobs advanced by 3,000. The service-providing industry added 144,000 jobs. That included a 20,000 decrease in retail jobs but increases of 41,000 in professional and business services and 47,000 in health and education services. The construction industry added 7,000 jobs a second straight month.
Average hourly earnings rose two cents to $15.86 in December. The increase in year-on-year terms was 2.7%. The average work week rose six minutes to 33.8 hours.
