According to the latest monthly report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added only 50,000 jobs in December, below expectations. A total of 584,000 jobs were added throughout 2025, making it the worst year for job growth since 2003, excluding the periods of the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic — a record that clearly is not one the Trump administration would be pleased with. In contrast, during the final year of Biden's presidency — 2024 — the U.S. added about 2 million jobs. Additionally, nearly 85% of the job growth occurred before April, and the number of new jobs added in the rest of the year was very limited.
The unemployment rate in December 2025 was 4.4%, lower than 4.5% in November, but higher than the 4% when Trump first took office in January of the previous year. However, the year-over-year wage growth in 2025 was 3.8%, higher than the inflation rate of around 3%. Moreover, although the Federal Reserve had cut interest rates three times last year to support the weak labor market, the improvement in the unemployment rate in December has significantly reduced the likelihood of further rate cuts at this month's upcoming monetary policy meeting. This could also lead to continued tensions between the Trump administration and the Fed led by Powell.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853918699889674/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.