#USNonfarmPayroll "The December 2025 nonfarm payroll report, released January 9, 2026, revealed only 50,000 jobs added—significantly below forecasts. This caps off 2025 as the weakest year for hiring since the pandemic, with just 584,000 total jobs created.

The report points to a clear economic slowdown. Hiring has stalled, with notable losses across retail, construction, and manufacturing sectors. This suggests businesses are pulling back amid broader uncertainty. However, unemployment fell slightly to 4.4% from 4.5%, indicating some underlying labor market strength through reduced layoffs, even as overall growth remains fragile.

This data strengthens the argument for additional Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026 to support economic momentum and prevent further deceleration. Markets are already pricing in accommodative monetary policy, which could provide a near-term boost to equities while putting downward pressure on the dollar.

The picture is mixed: conditions aren't recessionary yet, but they're soft enough to warrant close attention from policymakers. Where do you stand—should the Fed cut rates soon or wait for more data?"