The U.S. economy added jobs more rapidly than expected in December as Federal Reserve policymakers are keeping close tabs on the strength of the labor market ahead of their meeting later this month.
The Labor Department on Friday reported that employers added 256,000 jobs in December, well above the estimate from LSEG economists.
The unemployment rate came in at 4.1%, slightly lower than economists' expectations.
The number of jobs added in the prior two months were both revised, with job creation in October revised up by 7,000 from a gain of 36,000 to 43,000; while November was revised down by 15,000 from a gain of 227,000 to 212,000.
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