US Payrolls Rise a Below-Forecast 50,000, Unemployment Lower (6)

US employers added fewer jobs than expected in December, capping a yearlong slowdown in the labor market defined by cautious hiring and limited layoffs.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 50,000 last month after downward revisions to the prior two months, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.4%, settling back after the record-long government shutdown.

The gradual cooling in the US labor market prompted the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates three straight times to close out 2025. While it was one of the weakest years for hiring since 2009, employers have also largely ...