Monthly claims for jobless benefits hits nearly six-year low

Employers added 162,000 jobs last month, the worst showing in four months and fewer than forecast.

{mosads}Still, the monthly gains are still hovering around 200,000, while the jobless rate fell to a four-year low of 7.4 percent from 7.6 percent.

The labor market’s improvement may spur the Federal Reserve to begin tapering is massive monthly monetary stimulus as early as next month. 

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has said that the central bank will keep its $85 billion bond-buying program in place until the labor market has improved “substantially.” 

Still, he has indicated that the program could be ended by the middle of next year if the economy shows healthy improvement.