Nonfarm payrolls grew by 156,000 jobs in December a number that missed expectations but was overshadowed by a sharp gain in wages.
Headline unemployment edged higher to 4.7 percent, according to a report Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists had been expecting payrolls growth of 178,000. A broader measure of unemployment that counts discouraged workers and those working part-time for economic reasons edged to 9.2 percent, a fresh 2016 low and the best since April 2008.
