The Recovering 2012 Job Market [Infographic]

After years of cutbacks and layoffs, the nation's labor market finally appears to be on the mend. Latest monthly data from the Labor Department shows the unemployment rate inched down to 8.5 percent in December, though millions of Americans remain out of work.

Still, the report showed that job growth was widespread throughout the economy. Even the hard-hit construction sector, stung by the drop in demand for new homes, saw modest gains for the month.