The U.S. economy added 155,000 jobs in December, maintaining the solid pace seen since mid-2012. Overall, the labor market’s performance in 2012 very closely mirrored that of 2011, with both years’ monthly employment gains averaging 153,000 and a total of around 1.8 million jobs added in each year. While the steady rate of job creation is encouraging, there are still 4 million fewer jobs now in the U.S. than before the recession began.

The latest U.S. Talent Market Monthly from Kelly Services also shows that:

- Payroll gains in December closely matched the previous month, as U.S. employers continued to create jobs despite policymakers’ struggles to resolve the government budget crisis.
- The unemployment rate held steady and long-term joblessness continued to slowly decline.
- Although the U.S. labor market looks to be on solid footing with favorable growth prospects for 2013, reaching pre-recession employment levels will depend on healthy and sustained economic expansion.

The steady pace of hiring in the second half of 2012 reflects a show of confidence among U.S. businesses, as they took on more workers despite ongoing uncertainties including fiscal cliff negotiations. Holiday spending was also up in 2012, an indication that the consistent gains in employment may be helping to propel the U.S. economy to a more solid growth path.

You can find more highlights of the latest labor market figures including some "Top Jobs" for 2013 in the latest U.S. Talent Market Monthly. Download a complimentary version here.