153,000 new jobs expected in the US during December

The December jobs data, due out today by the US Labor Department, is likely to provide a more accurate reading of the strength of the US labor market

The labor market has been a tough sell over the past few months, with hurricanes and a major strike at Boeing causing jobs to fall in October, followed by a rebound in November that likely boosted hiring.

Most economists expect the data to show strong but slow hiring, especially compared to the boom days of 2021-23.

Economists surveyed by data firm FactSet expect payrolls to rise by 153,000 jobs last month, compared with 227,000 in November and just 36,000 in October, which saw the strike and hurricanes.