National unemployment rate declines

The U.S. unemployment rate declined to 5.6 percent in December after registering at 5.8 percent in November.

During the month, nonfarm employers nationwide added 252,000 jobs, led by the professional and business services, construction, food services and drinking places, health care and manufacturing industries, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics news release.

December job gains:

• Professional and business services employers added 52,000 jobs last month, and the industry had a monthly job gain average of 61,000 in 2014.
• Employment in construction rose by 48,000, with specialty trade contractors leading the way by adding 26,000 positions.
• Food services and drinking places employment moved up by 44,000, above its average of 30,000 per month in 2014.
• Health care employers pumped up their industry by 34,000 jobs last month, with ambulatory health care services adding 16,000 jobs to lead the charge.
• There were 17,000 new jobs in the manufacturing industry, above the 16,000-job average per month last year.

As of December, there were 8.7 million unemployed in the U.S. The figure fell by 1.7 million during 2014, according to the release.

Missouri’s most recent unemployment rate reported by the BLS was 5.1 percent in November, with the Springfield metro area coming in at 4.3 percent that month.[[In-content Ad]]