The U.S. labor market ended 2025 on a soft note, with job creation in December less than expected, according to a report Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nonfarm payrolls rose a seasonally adjusted 50,000 for the month, lower than the downwardly revised 56,000 in November and short of the Dow Jones estimate for 73,000.
At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, compared to the forecast for 4.5%.
A more encompassing measure that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons dropped to 8.4%, down 0.3 percentage point from November. The household survey, which is used to calculate the unemployment figures, showed an increase of 232,000 while the labor force participation rate edged lower to 62.4%.
The report presented a muddy view of the labor market, with companies reporting a low level of hiring but households showing employment gains.
