WASHINGTON -- The unemployment rate plunged to 9.4 percent in December as employers added 103,000 jobs during the month - far fewer than expected, the government reported Friday.
While those numbers were somewhat disappointing, analysts said the economic recovery continues to gain steam and that 2011 looks more promising than 2010.
Forecasters had expected that December might be when the economy turned the corner to strong hiring, with most projections showing 175,000 new jobs or more. So, the 103,000 net job total was both surprising and disappointing, though still positive.
