WASHINGTON — Employers shed 85,000 jobs in December, which was more than economists expected, but added 4,000 workers in November, the first monthly nonfarm payrolls increase in 22 months, the Labor Department reported Friday.
The unemployment rate was unchanged in December at 10.0%.
The November nonfarm payrolls figure was revised higher to an increase of 4,000 from a decline of 11,000 reported last month.
Economists who were polled by Thomson Reuters had expected 8,000 job cuts to nonfarm payrolls and projected that the unemployment rate would increase to 10.1%, according to the median estimate.
