Non-Farm payrolls increased by 18,000 in the month of December, while the unemployment rate went up to 5% from 4.7%. Economists had forecast a gain of 70,000 jobs.
The ISM non-manufacturing business index dropped slightly to 53.9 in December from 54.1 in November. A number above 50 signals expansion while a number below 50 signals contraction in the services sector.
Details from Bloomberg...
