U.S. adds 145,000 jobs in December; unemployment holds at 3.5%

U.S. employers downshifted their hiring in December, adding 145,000 jobs as consumer spending appeared to aid gains in the retail and hospitality sectors. The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate held at 3.5 percent for the second straight month, prolonging a half-century low. Hiring slipped after robust gains of 256,000 in November caused in part by the end of a weekslong strike at General Motors Co.. Still, the job growth has failed so far...