U.S. economy increase by 155,000 jobs (December)

The unemployment rate is at 7.8%, the same as November.

Despite the threat of the so-called fiscal cliff employers kept hiring at a slow and steady pace in December. The job growth has been mediocre in which older workers and men garnered most of the gains and healthcare, restaurants and temporary-help firms accounted for almost half of the new payroll jobs.

The economy grew by 155,000 jobs last month, in line with analysts' expectations and right at the average monthly pace of growth over the last two years. Job growth for November was revised up slightly to 161,000 after October brought an increase of 137,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday.

The nation's unemployment rate ended the year at 7.8%, the same as the revised figure for November. That rate, also hit in September, is the lowest since January 2009.

source latimes