US adds 145,000 jobs in December with unemployment steady at 3.5 pct

America’s solid job creation continued in December but a slower pace while wages cooled off, according to the closely-watched government report released Friday.

The numbers for the final month of 2019 also showed hiring took a step downward from the brisk pace seen in 2018, according to the Labor Department.

The US jobs engine added another 145,000 new positions, the slowest pace in seven months and a bit short of economists’ expectations, while the unemployment rate held steady at 3.5 percent.