Economy

Surprisingly weak jobs report puzzles economists

By Christopher Rugaber
Published January 10, 2014 10:12pm ET
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Surprisingly weak jobs report puzzles economists
FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 file photo, Luis Mendez, 23, left, and Maurice Mike, 23, wait in line at a job fair held by the Miami Marlins, at Marlins Park in Miami. The labor Department issues the December jobs report, the last one for 2103, on January 10. 2014. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, FIle) | Lynne Sladky

WASHINGTON (AP) — It came as a shock: U.S. employers added just 74,000 jobs in December, far fewer than anyone expected. This from an economy that had been adding nearly three times as many for four straight months — a key reason the Federal Reserve decided last month to slow its economic stimulus.

So what happened in December? Economists struggled for explanations: Unusually cold weather. A statistical quirk. A temporary halt in steady job growth.

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Jobs Nation Unemployment