Friday preview: US unemployment rates to be unveiled

The US is set to release unemployment rate figures on Friday as leaders continue to tackle the country's financial deficit.

Lawmakers are expected to announce that 155,000 jobs were added to the economy in December which would be considerably less than is needed to bring down unemployment.

It adds another spanner in the works as the US works through its economic crisis.

President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans reached a budget deal on Tuesday to avert $600bn in tax hikes and spending cuts, but they face a political showdown over the next two months as the troubles are far from over.

Some argue the deal, which raises taxes for high earners, has done little to curb the budget strains.

The debacle has weighed heavily on the jobs sector as the country tries to recover from its financial struggles. A slump in Asian trading has also slowed down jobs creation.

The US needs to add more than 356,000 jobs each month over the next three years in order to lower unemployment rate to 6%, but analysts say the government is setting its sights too high given its current policies.

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