New York (CNNMoney.com) - As economists and investors reel from a surprisingly weak jobs number, there are 3,300 people that may actually be cheering December's report.

That's the number of employees that were added to the federal government's payroll last month.

As job losses continued in construction, manufacturing, retail, leisure and hospitality, as well as at the state and local government level, the Federal government was one of the few areas that posted a job gain.

Full story