Employers in the U.S. added 115,000 workers to the payrolls in December, ending a quarter in which job creation was the slowest in three years, according to a survey of economists before a government report last week.

The figure is the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey and would follow employment gains of 132,000 in the prior month and 79,000 in October. The Labor Department’s report on Jan. 5 is also forecast to show the jobless rate held at 4.5 percent, close to a five-year low.

Job growth in early 2007 may continue to be subdued, keeping a lid on wage gains and limiting how fast consumer spending and the economy will grow. So far, increases in payrolls and incomes have been enough to hold the unemployment rate stable and encourage Americans to keep spending and shopping.