The US economy closed out 2024 with another month of massive job growth, adding 256,000 positions in December.

Friday’s jobs report was “even more important” than normal as the market adjusts its assessment of the direction of the economy.

The US economy added more jobs than forecast in December while the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday showed 256,000 new jobs were created in December,

The U.S. labor market cooled substantially in 2024, as employers sharply curtailed hiring and workers faced increasing difficulty finding jobs, although there are no signs of a recession.

Payrolls: 256,000 jobs added in December vs. 153,000 expected, according to economists surveyed by FactSet. Unemployment rate: 4.1%, down from 4.2% in November. Revisions: October

The U.S. economy added 256,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1%, the Labor Department said Friday. Last month’s gain in nonfarm payrolls was the biggest since March and well above the 155,

U.S. job growth unexpectedly accelerated in December while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1% as the labor market ended the year on a solid footing, reinforcing views that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates unchanged this month.

The economy created 256,000 jobs in December, much stronger than what was predicted by Wall Street experts and more than 40,000 from the previous month, the Labor Department in its report released on Friday.