Solid Job Growth in December

The U.S. labor market ended 2015 with a bang, adding 292,000 jobs during December.

Overall, an estimated 466,000 people were added to payrolls last month, and the national unemployment rate held at five percent as the year came to a close, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The U.S. economy added an average 221,000 jobs per month during 2015, down from 260,000 jobs every month in 2014, the Labor Department reported.

Jobs were added in several categories, including professional and business services, construction, health care and food services. Professional and business services posted the strongest gains – 73,000 jobs – with 34,000 of those in temporary help services.

The number of unemployed last month – 7.9 million – was essentially unchanged in December compared with the previous month, and the unemployment rate remained at five percent for the third month in a row.

The number of long-term unemployed – anyone out of work for 27 weeks more – was 2.1 million, or roughly 26.3 percent of everyone who is unemployed.