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U.S. payroll gains slowed by more than forecast in December, wages picked up slightly and the jobless rate held at the lowest level since 2000, adding to signs of a full-employment economy.

Payrolls at U.S. companies increased in December by the most in nine months, consistent with further progress in the labor market, according to data released Jan. 4 from the ADP Research Institute in Roseland, N.J.

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits jumped to the highest in five weeks, though the level remained low by historical standards, Labor Department figures showed Dec. 21.

UPS Inc., FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service have sizable operations in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania and have ramped up operations by hiring hundreds of seasonal employees to handle an expected surge in holiday orders.

U.S. job openings unexpectedly cooled in October from an all-time high a month earlier, still consistent with a solid job market, Labor Department data showed Dec. 11.

The U.S. added more jobs than forecast in November and the unemployment rate held at an almost 17-year low, though below-forecast wage gains suggested the labor market still has slack to absorb.

Finding and retaining qualified drivers can be a difficult and time-consuming task, but there are some human resources firms offering alternatives to old-fashioned interviews to get them on the road.

Even with an increase last week, the level of U.S. filings for unemployment benefits indicates steady demand for workers, Labor Department figures showed Nov. 9. The average number of applications filed over the past month was the lowest in 44 years.

The national unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage point in October to 4.1%, the lowest level since December 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The share of U.S. small companies with open positions in October matched the second-highest on record and more businesses said they plan to boost compensation, signs that a tight labor market could soon translate into bigger pay raises.