Economy in U.S. Brightens as Early Data Belie Gloomy Investors

The U.S. economy is beginning 2012 on a brighter note in a sign investors may be too pessimistic.

Payrolls rose 200,000 in December, double the gain in November, a Labor Department report showed yesterday. A weekly measure of consumer confidence ended 2011 at a five-month high. And manufacturers reported their business in December grew at the fastest pace in six months. The combination indicates the world’s largest economy has enough staying power to withstand a recession in Europe and a slowdown in China.