British media reported on January 14 that the data released by the US Department of Labor on the 10th showed that the US unemployment rate remained at 3.5% month-on-month in December last year, the lowest level in 50 years. The non-agricultural sector added 145000 jobs that month, lower than market expectations.

The United States needs to add about 100000 jobs a month to keep up with the growth of the working-age population, Reuters reported on Jan. 10. The United States created 2.1 million jobs in 2019, the lowest level since 2011 and down from 2.7 million in 2018, according to an employment report.

According to reports, data show that in December last year, the US retail trade added 41000 jobs and the health care industry increased by 28000. However, mining employment fell by 8000 and manufacturing lost 12000 jobs.

In the month, the closely watched average hourly wage increased by 0.1% month-on-month, compared with a year-on-year increase of only 2.9%; the labor force participation rate was 63.2%.

In addition, the number of new jobs in the US non-farm sector for the whole of last year was 2.1 million, an average monthly increase of 176000, the lowest since 2011. Of this total, the net increase in manufacturing jobs was only 46000, compared with 264000 in 2018.

Analysts believe that due to the global trade situation, geopolitical factors and uncertainty caused by the 2020 US presidential election, US job growth is likely to slow further this year.

Reuters also pointed out that as the US labor market tightens further, economists believe that the long-expected slowdown in job growth will occur this year.