Overview
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 50,000 increase in December payrolls, with most gains in healthcare and social assistance, and the unemployment rate at 4.4%.
- Total hiring in 2025 reached about 584,000 jobs, marking the weakest year outside a recession since the early 2000s, with notable revisions to earlier months.
- Hours before the official release, President Trump posted a Truth Social graphic reflecting December figures, and the totals matched the published report.
- The White House called the post an inadvertent disclosure and said it is reviewing data‑release protocols, as OMB policy prohibits pre‑release public statements on market‑moving statistics.
- Market observers reported no evident trading disruption from the early post, while economists debated causes of the slowdown, citing tariffs, labor‑supply changes, and strains at a BLS operating under acting leadership.