U.S. economy adds 156,000 jobs in December

The U.S. added 156,000 jobs last month and hourly wages rose by 10 cents, according to the monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.7 percent, compared to November's 4.6 percent. Economists had been watching closely to see if the jobs report reflected a rise in wages.

The 10-cent increase pushed average hourly earnings to $26; in November, they had dipped slightly, by 2 cents. Over the course of the year as a whole, average hourly earnings rose 2.9 percent, the BLS says.

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Photo courtesy of Laura Watilo Blake.