The job market flatlined in 2025. The first half of this year is expected to bring more of the same, economists said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its jobs report, showing that the US added 50,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.4%.

U.S. employers posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up.

Hiring ticked down in December, defying the Federal Reserve's effort to boost hiring with a recent series of interest rate cuts, a jobs report on Friday showed. The reading fell short of economists' expectations. The U.S. added 50,000 jobs in December, which marked a slight drop from 64,000 jobs added in the previous month.

Find out when a second job might not be worth it. Consider costs like childcare, transportation, opportunity loss, and tax impacts before taking on more work.

U.S. job growth likely slowed in December amid business caution about hiring because of import tariffs and rising artificial intelligence investment.

Finding a job continued to be a slog at the end of the year, new data shows: US businesses sought out fewer workers in November and hiring rates wilted even further.

Job seekers are making decisions not just based on qualifications, but on whether they believe what they’re seeing.

Employers have added jobs in recent months but the unemployment rate has risen. Data for December will be closely watched for clues on the health of the labor market.