New hires surge; consumers confident; the week ahead …

Employers added 252,000 jobs in December, the U.S. Department of Labor said.

The U.S. trade deficit declined for the third straight month. The November deficit receded to $39 billion from $42.2 billion in October. The deficit is now the lowest since December 2013.

And Americans showed confidence in the economy by purchasing big-ticket items that aren't paid off in the short term.

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