US LABOR MARKET DATA – DECEMBER 🔸 Unemployment rate: 4.4% (consensus 4.5%); November revised to 4.5% 🔸 Nonfarm payrolls: +50K (consensus +73K) 🔸 Private payrolls: +37K 🔸 Government payrolls: +13K 🔸 Revisions: November payrolls +56K; October revised to -173K 🔸 Average hourly earnings: +0.33% (+$0.12) to $37.02; +3.76% year over year 🔸 Average workweek: 34.2 hours (-0.1 hour) 🔸 Labor-force participation:** 62.4%(*Walter Bloomberg)