The U.S. economy beat expectations in December, adding 312,000 jobs, according to the official figures released by the Department of Labor on Jan. 4.
Wall Street analysts expected the United States to gain 180,000 jobs in December. The official numbers beat the Wall Street estimate by 43 percent. The jobs gain is the biggest in 10 months and can help allay a recent upsurge in fears about the economy’s health that has roiled financial markets.
