216,000 increase for December. Unemployment rate the same at 3.7%. Previous months revised down by a total of 71,000, but total year average at 225,000 per month which is pretty good. Wages up 4.1% year over year which is very good. Labor participation rate at 62.5%. Pretty much unchanged for the entire year. Overall, looks like a pretty decent year.
The spin on that will be something along the lines of…but that means everyone needs to work to survive. Unemployment rate is too low!!! It should be higher!!! Or something stupid like that.
Job growth was widespread on the month, led by professional and business services with 74,000. Other significant contributors included health care (70,000), retail trade (45,000), government (36,000), social assistance (30,000) and manufacturing (23,000).