US jobs add 50,000 in December, miss estimates as unemployment dips to 4.4%

US job growth slowed further in December, underscoring signs that the labour market remains stuck in a prolonged period of weak hiring despite steady economic growth. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000 last month, well below economists’ expectations for a 73,000 gain, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.