The surprising 256,000 increase in new jobs in December and a declining unemployment rate is good news, but the latest employment reports masks recent softness in the labor market. The increase in new jobs in December, for example, was centered on just four industries: Health care, government, retail and leisure and hospitality.

Before the strong December jobs report was released, the odds were already low for an interest rate cut in the next Federal Reserve decision on January 29.

The economy created 256,000 jobs in December, much stronger than what was predicted by Wall Street experts and more than 40,000 from the previous month, the Labor Department in its report released on Friday.

The U.S. added 256,000 jobs in December, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The number may give the Federal Reserve less incentive to cut interest rates this year.

US hiring picked up unexpectedly in December as employers added 256,000 jobs, another sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of high interest rates. The Labor Department reported Friday that job growth was up last month from 212,

Employers added 256,000 jobs in December, blowing past economists' expectations and signaling that the job market remains resilient in the face of still-high borrowing rates and stickier-than-expected inflation.

Friday’s jobs report was “even more important” than normal as the market adjusts its assessment of the direction of the economy.