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10h ago

U.S. Adds 50,000 Jobs in December as Unemployment Dips to 4.4%

The mixed report reinforces expectations of a near-term Fed pause, with tariffs, immigration policy and AI investment weighing on hiring.

U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
People work in a restaurant in Manhattan on December 16, 2025 in New York City.
The December unemployment rate and a decision on tariffs from the Supreme Court are looming.
Pedestrians move along Lexington Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City on December 16, 2025.

Overview

  • Earlier months were marked down, with October’s loss now 173,000 and November’s gain 56,000, underscoring a weaker late‑2025 trend.
  • Payrolls grew by about 584,000 in 2025 versus 2.0 million in 2024, the softest annual increase since the pandemic.
  • The household survey showed a 232,000 rise in employment as labor force participation edged down to 62.4%, highlighting diverging signals.
  • Leisure and hospitality, health care and social assistance added jobs, while retail and parts of manufacturing contracted; average hourly earnings rose 0.3% on the month and 3.8% year over year.
  • The BLS flagged changes to its birth‑death model starting in January and an upcoming benchmark revision, as markets lean toward the Fed holding rates at its next meeting.