Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker on December Jobs Numbers

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released the following statement on the December jobs report, which showed that U.S. employment rose by 292,000 last month. Growth accelerated in most industries above their previous 12-month average, with the transportation and warehousing, information services, and construction industries showing especially strong gains relative to the past year. 

“The December jobs report caps off a strong year, with our economy adding more jobs over the past two years than in any two-year period since the 1990s. In 2015, the unemployment rate dropped to 5.0%, and workers’ earnings grew at the fastest rate since the recovery began. With businesses now adding 14.1 million jobs over 70 straight months and extending the longest streak on record, we have momentum going into 2016. We must continue to drive job creation and ensure that our companies and workers compete on a level-playing field in the global economy, through strong trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.”