Unemployment holds at 3.5 percent
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers downshifted on hiring in December, adding 145,000 jobs, with steady spending by Americans continuing to steer economic growth heading into a presidential election year.
The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate held at 3.5% for the second straight month, prolonging a half-century low.
Hiring slipped after robust gains of 256,000 in November…