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The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the jobs report for December on Friday, showing an unusual slowdown in growth for a month where consumer spending typically generates much higher numbers.

Job growth increased by around 50,000, the report noted. Unemployment remained relatively unchanged from November, going from 4.5 percent in that month to 4.4 percent in December.

The administration was quick to herald the job numbers as proof of a successful economy under President Donald Trump.

“The December jobs report confirms that 2025 was a blockbuster year of solid job growth thanks to the return President Trump’s America First leadership,” read a statement from Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Yet the numbers were lower than in years past, and 2025 overall was lackluster for the president who promised to have a much better performance than his predecessor.

“December’s jobs report closes out 2025 not with fireworks, but with a quiet fizzle,” said Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor,

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