312,000 US Jobs
Were Added
in December The hiring surge represents
the highest number of jobs
added since February 2018. It's an indication the
U.S. economy remains strong. Wages were also raised
in an effort by employers
to attract new workers. Paul Ashworth, US Economist Capital Economics, via CNN Unemployment was up
from its 50-year low of
3.7% to 3.9%, as more
people entered the workforce. Job gains of 30,000 or
more were reported in
a wide range of areas,
from construction to health care. The 380,000 furloughed
workers affected by the
government shutdown
were not included in the report.