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U.S. Job Growth Slows Sharply[/h]U.S. job growth slowed sharply in December, closing out the year on a surprisingly weak note and potentially complicating the Federal Reserve's plan for its bond-buying program.
U.S. payrolls rose by 74,000 last month, the Labor Department said Friday. That was a sharp dip from numbers of over 200,000 in the prior two months and the lowest monthly gain in three years.
The Labor Department said the unemployment rate fell to 6.7% from 7%, though the decline was largely the result of people leaving the workforce.