US December hiring misses expectations, capping weak 2025

US employment rose by 50,000 last month, slowing from a revised 56,000 in November, the Department of Labor said. The jobless rate -- measured by a different survey within the report -- inched down to 4.4 percent from 4.5 percent. For 2025, payroll employment grew by 584,000, significantly lower than the increase of 2.0 million in 2024. Investors will be digesting the data for its potential bearing on the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions, as a sharp deterioration in the jobs market could...