The U.S. economy added 216,000 new jobs in December, topping economists’ expectations of 170,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The latest employment figures signal that the labor market remains robust heading into 2024. Last month’s boost was up from the November gain of 173,000, which was revised down from the initially reported 199,000. The October jobs data were also adjusted down by 45,000 to 105,000. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent and came in below the consensus estimate of 3.8 percent. The labor force participation rate declined to 62.5 percent, down from 62.8 percent. Average hourly…
