Friday’s jobs report was “even more important” than normal as the market adjusts its assessment of the direction of the economy.

U.S. job growth unexpectedly accelerated in December while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1% as the labor market ended the year on a solid footing, reinforcing views that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates unchanged this month.

The U.S. economy added jobs more rapidly than expected in December, with the unemployment rate declining to 4.1%.

The U.S. economy added 256,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1%, the Labor Department said Friday. Last month’s gain in nonfarm payrolls was the biggest since March and well above the 155,

U.S. businesses added 256,000 new positions last month, far exceeding expectations as overall the economy continues to rev up.

December's jobs figure is even higher than November's, which experts say was skewed by people returning to work from strikes and hurricanes.

Key Takeaways The odds of the Federal Reserve cutting its benchmark interest rate this year fell after a jobs report Friday showed hiring in December blew past expectations.Strong job growth means less pressure on the Fed to cut interest rates to save the economy and prevent layoffs.