The Washington Post. U.S. added 148,000 jobs in December, a lagging end to year of growth

The U.S. economy wrapped up a year of steady hiring, the government jobs report said. The jobless rate stayed flat at 4.1 percent. Wage growth remained sluggish and still below pre-recession levels. 
Analysts said the numbers send a promising message to job seekers: Employers will be increasingly desperate for your applications in 2018. A pay bump, however, isn't guaranteed.