The US labor market ended 2025 at a more moderate, but stable, pace. During December, 50,000 new jobs were created, a figure that confirms the gradual slowdown in hiring without causing an abrupt deterioration in employment. Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that, despite the year's economic adjustments, the labor market managed to remain stable at the end of the period. "Total non-agricultural employment changed little in December, while the unemployment rate remained stable," according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate stood at 4.4%, virtually unchanged from the previous month. The total number of unemployed people was 7.5 million, reinforcing the idea of ??a labor market that is proceeding cautiously. Although job growth was limited, there was no significant deterioration, a key factor for economic stability. Looking at the different demographic groups, the figures remained stable. Unemployment among adult men was 3.9%, the same level as among adult women. Among young people, the rate remained high at 15.7%. By ethnicity, unemployment among Hispanics was one of the highest in the country (4.9%), second only to unemployment among African American workers (7.5%). In comparison, unemployment among whites was 3.8% and 3.6% among Asians. One point of concern is the year-on-year increase in long-term unemployment. In December, 1.9 million people had been out of work for 27 weeks or more. This represents 26% of the total unemployed and is an increase of almost 400,000 people compared to the previous year. The difficulty of re-entering the labor market has become a growing challenge. Labor force participation remained at 62.4%, while the proportion of employed people to the total population was 59.7%. Both metrics showed little variation during 2025,This indicates that a significant portion of the population remains outside the labor market, either by choice or due to a lack of opportunities. Another relevant finding is the increase in part-time employment for economic reasons. In December, 5.3 million people were working fewer hours than they desired because they could not find full-time employment or because their hours were reduced. Year-on-year, this figure increased by almost one million people, highlighting pressures on job quality. According to the establishment survey, job growth was concentrated in specific sectors. Restaurants and bars added 27,000 jobs in December. The healthcare sector added 21,000 jobs, primarily in hospitals. Social assistance also showed progress, with 17,000 new positions, driven by individual and family services. In contrast, retail trade lost 25,000 jobs during the month. The largest declines were in supermarkets, general merchandise stores, and department stores. This behavior confirms the changes in consumption and the caution of companies in the sector. Throughout 2025, the U.S. economy created 584,000 jobs, well below the 2 million generated in 2024. The monthly average fell from 168,000 to just 49,000 positions, a clear sign of a cooling labor market. Wages continued to grow, albeit at a moderate pace. In December, the average hourly wage rose 12 cents to $37.02. On an annual basis, the increase was 3.8%. The average workweek fell slightly to 34.20 hours, which also reflects adjustments in the demand for labor. The BLS explained that seasonal revisions and the impact of the partial federal government shutdown affected some data from previous months. Even so, the agency noted that December presented no problems in data collection.

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