A closely watched report released by the Labor Department on Friday showed employment in the U.S. increased impressively in the month of December. The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment surged by 256,000 jobs in December after jumping by a downwardly revised 212,000 jobs in November. This job growth partly reflected notable increases in employment in the healthcare and social assistance and leisure and hospitality sectors as well as a rebound by employment in the retail sector. The report also said the unemployment rate eased to 4.1 percent in December from 4.2 percent in November.

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