Job growth surges, unemployment ticks up. Why?

Andy Uhler Jan 4, 2019
HTML EMBED:
COPY
Employment seekers attend the JobExpo employment fair in New York City. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Job growth surges, unemployment ticks up. Why?

Andy Uhler Jan 4, 2019
Employment seekers attend the JobExpo employment fair in New York City. Mario Tama/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Employers added 312,000 jobs in December, according to the Labor Department. That’s far more jobs than expected. And yet, the unemployment rate rose from 3.7 to 3.9 percent. More jobs, higher unemployment. How’s that work? It has something to do with the labor force participation rate.

Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.