US December Hiring Misses Expectations, Capping Weak 2025

Washington, United States: The United States added fewer jobs than expected in December, government data showed Friday, capping the labor market's weakest year since the Covid-19 pandemic amid growing concerns about hiring.

US employment rose by 50,000 last month, slowing from a revised 56,000 in November, the Department of Labor said.

The jobless rate -- measured by a different survey within the report -- inched down to 4.4 percent from 4.5 percent.

For 2025, payroll employment grew by 584,000, significantly lower than the increase of 2.0 million in 2024.

Investors will be digesting the data for its potential bearing on the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions, as a sharp deterioration in the jobs market could nudge the US central bank to lower rates sooner to boost the world's biggest economy.

While December's figures were decent, job growth has slowed significantly over the past year while the unemployment rate crept up towards its highest level since 2021.

MENAFN10012026000063011010ID1110580054