U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics@bls · official source
Both payroll employment (+50,000) and unemployment rate (4.4%) change little in December
· via BLS
Key points
- The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) changed little over the month at 1.9 million but is up by 397,000 over the year.
- The number of people employed part time for economic reasons, at 5.3 million, changed little in December but is up by 980,000 over the year.
- Payroll employment rose by 584,000 in 2025 (an average monthly gain of 49,000), less than the increase of 2.0 million in 2024 (an average monthly gain of 168,000).
- Health care employment rose by an average of 34,000 per month in 2025, less than the average monthly gain of 56,000 in 2024.
- In December, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 12 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $37.02.
Official source
BLSJan 9, 2026Official release ↗
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