Hiring Ends Year on Strong Note, but Wage Growth Remains Sluggish

Employers capped last year with impressive job growth in December, the latest sign of a stable U.S. economy despite international headwinds that have worsened since 2016 began.

Nonfarm payrolls increased a seasonally adjusted 292,000 in December, the Labor Department said Friday. The unemployment rate, obtained through a separate survey, held steady at 5% last month. The unemployment rate hasn’t been below that mark since 2007.