WASHINGTON – U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs in December, a steady gain that shows hiring held up during the tense negotiations to resolve the fiscal cliff.

The solid job growth wasn't enough to push down the unemployment rate, which remained 7.8 percent last month, the Labor Department said Friday. The rate for November was revised up from an initially reported 7.7 percent. Each year in January, the government revises the rate for the previous 12 months.

The government also said hiring was stronger in the previous month than first thought. November's job gains were revised up 15,000 to 161,000. October's increase was nearly unchanged at 137,000.