US employers adds 216,000 jobs in December in a sign of economic strength

US employers added a surprisingly strong 216,000 jobs in December in a sign of continued economic strength.

In November 2023, US employers added 199,000 jobs, higher than October's unrevised 150,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

For November, the Bureau's survey of households used to calculate the unemployment rate, showed much more robust job growth of 747,000 and an addition of 532,000 workers to the labor force. As a key inflation barometer, average hourly earnings increased by 0.4% for the month and 4% from a year ago.

Among sectors or industries, healthcare added the most jobs with government, manufacturing, leisure and hospitality adding 49,000, 28,000, and 40,000 jobs, respectively.