December Jobs Report: U.S. Adds 50,000 Jobs

In December 2025, the U.S. economy added 50,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, a modest increase that reflects continued slow job growth as the year came to a close.

Revisions to prior months revealed weaker-than-expected momentum: October’s employment decline was revised further downward, and November’s gain was also lowered.

The unemployment rate held at 4.4%, with 7.5 million Americans unemployed.

Is the U.S. Job Market Growing?

While job growth remained positive in December, the pace stayed muted compared to earlier years.

Gains in healthcare, food services, and social assistance provided a lift, but losses in retail trade continued to weigh down overall employment numbers.

U.S. Unemployment Rates by Group – December 2025

• Adult women: 3.9%
• Adult men: 3.9%
• Teenagers: 15.7%
• Whites: 3.8%
• Blacks: 7.5%
• Asians: 3.6%
• Hispanics: 4.9%

Key Employment Statistics for December 2025

• Long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more): Unchanged at 1.9 million, making up 26.0% of all unemployed.
• Average hourly earnings: Rose by 12 cents to $37.02, up 3.8% over the past year.
• Average workweek: Edged down to 34.2 hours; unchanged at 33.7 hours for production and nonsupervisory employees.
• Labor force participation rate: Unchanged at 62.4%
• Employment-population ratio: Held steady at 59.7%

Sectors with Notable Job Trends in December

Food Services

Restaurants and bars added 27,000 jobs in December, continuing a consistent upward trend seen throughout the year. The sector averaged a monthly gain of 12,000 jobs in 2025.

Healthcare

Healthcare added 21,000 jobs in December, including a 16,000-job increase in hospitals. While slower than in 2024, the sector remained a reliable source of employment growth.

Social Assistance

This sector continued to expand, gaining 17,000 jobs in December. Most of the growth came from individual and family services (+13,000).

December Jobs Report Summary

The December 2025 jobs report capped off a year of slow but steady employment gains. While sectors like healthcare and social assistance continued to support the labor market, losses in retail and shrinking federal employment kept overall growth modest.

Wages increased at a healthy pace, and unemployment remained stable—but high enough to reflect ongoing slack in the job market.

As the new year begins, the U.S. labor market enters 2026 with cautious optimism but without strong momentum.