"The Labor Department reported that the country added a meager 74,000 jobs in December -- less than half what many analysts had expected. The unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent, but mostly because many people gave up looking for work, possibly deterred by a combination of cold weather, the holiday season and the expiration of long-term unemployment benefits." Ylan Q. Mui and Paul Kane in The Washington Post.
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The biggest question facing the U.S. economy: Why are people dropping out of the workforce? "The U.S. labor force is still shrinking rapidly. Back in 2007, 66 percent of Americans had a job or were actively seeking work. Today, that number is at 62.8 percent -- the lowest level since 1977." Brad Plumer in The Washington Post.
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