The government releases December's jobless figures first thing Friday morning, prompting economists and job watchers to shell out preliminary forecasts with gusto earlier in the week.

Researchers IHS Global Insight and other economists predict that the nation gained 150,000 to 160,000 net new jobs last month.

If correct, that's at least 30,000 more than in November, but about 150,000 shy of what the country needs each month to restore pre-recession employment levels, say officials from the Economic Policy Institute think tank in Washington, D.C.

Peter Morici, an economics professor at the University of Maryland, said he expects December's unemployment rate could rise from 8.6 percent in November to 8.7 percent in December because discouraged jobseekers who sidelined their searches will start looking again, now that there are stronger signs of hiring.

The outplacement employment officials at Challenger, Gray & Christmas said Thursday that its clients announced plans to cut 41,785 jobs in December. That is the lowest figure since June and 1.6 percent below November results.

The end-of-the year restraint in layoffs was welcome news. Challenger clients cut 606,082 jobs in 2011. That was up from 529,973 in 2010, but well below the 1.29 million job cuts that took place during the recession riddled 2009.