Black workers were the only racial or ethnic group for whom unemployment rose in the most recent monthly data — to nearly 9%.

The pandemic’s still weighing down the economy, despite some encouraging signs.

“There’s not really one story that explains the entire labor market,” Chris Hyams says.

Jobless claims and retail spending data out Thursday suggest that the economy’s laying the groundwork for recovery.

It starts with a huge web of government data on jobs.

Employers added 245,000 jobs, many fewer than the previous month. The economy is still down nearly 10 million jobs since February.

The economy’s clawing its way back from historic job losses in the spring, but it’s only halfway back to pre-pandemic levels.

Research suggests a decline in housing affordability can significantly reduce job growth.

The December jobs report from the Labor Department will cap off a year of decent job growth coupled with declining unemployment.

Job growth at this pace is a sign that the economy will continue to expand for a 10th straight year.