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| US jobs growth slows in December | US jobs growth slows in December |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The US economy added a lower-than-expected 145,000 jobs last month. latest official figures have shown. | The US economy added a lower-than-expected 145,000 jobs last month. latest official figures have shown. |
| The figure marks a slowdown from November's figure of 256,000, when the statistics were boosted by striking GM workers returning to work. | The figure marks a slowdown from November's figure of 256,000, when the statistics were boosted by striking GM workers returning to work. |
| The data for October and November was revised down to show 14,000 fewer jobs were created than previously estimated. | The data for October and November was revised down to show 14,000 fewer jobs were created than previously estimated. |
| The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5% in December, according to the US Labor Department. | The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5% in December, according to the US Labor Department. |
| The monthly jobs gain was lower than the 164,000 predicted by analysts, while earnings growth also slowed. | |
| Average hourly earnings rose at an annual rate of 2.9% last month, down from November's rate of 3.1%. | |
| The sectors seeing the biggest gains in jobs last month were retailing, which added 41,000 jobs, and health care, which saw an increase of 28,000. | |
| The number of manufacturing jobs fell by 12,000, compared with a rise of 58,000 in November when the GM strike ended. | |
| "The key point here is that payroll growth is performing far better than implied by a host of leading indicators in late summer and fall," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. | |
| "Businesses appear to have over-estimated the real impact of the trade war, distorting their survey responses. Payroll gains averaged a very solid 184,000 in Q4, and we have no reason to expect much change in Q1. | |
| "If we're right, the unemployment rate will keep falling, heading towards 3% by the end of the year." |