Employment edged up in manufacturing (+17,000) in December, with a gain of 15,000 in the durable goods component, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, since reaching a recent peak in January, manufacturing employment has declined by 63,000.
Employment also increased in health care (+43,000), food services and drinking places (+30,000), social assistance (+20,000) transportation and warehousing (+15,000) and financial activities (+13,000).
Employment in mining, construction, wholesale trade, professional and business services, retail trade, information and government changed little in December.
Overall, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 156,000 in December, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.7 percent.
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially unchanged at 1.8 million in December and accounted for 24.2 percent of the unemployed. In 2016, the number of long-term unemployed declined by 263,000.
The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (also referred to as involuntary part-time workers), at 5.6 million, was essentially unchanged in December but was down by 459,000 over the year.
