Dec. job report falls short of expectations

President Biden on Friday glossed over weak job growth in December that marked the worst month for hiring in a year, and instead focused on a surprise decline in the nation's unemployment rate. In all, the economy gained about 6.4 million jobs over the duration of 2021, or an average of 537,000 per month – more than in any year on record. But the nation remains 3.6 million jobs short of pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.