US Nonfarm Payroll Increases by 50,000 in December; Unemployment at 4.4%

On Friday, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 50,000 in December 2025.

The unemployment rate slipped to 4.4%, with 7.5 million people unemployed. Both measures changed little over the month.

Growth was led by the following sectors:

• Food services and drinking places added 27,000 jobs. The industry added an average of 12,000 jobs per month in 2025, similar to the average monthly gain of 11,000 in 2024.
• Health care added 46,000 jobs. Health care employment rose by an average of 34,000 jobs per month in 2025, less than the average monthly gain of 56,000 in 2024.
• Social assistance continued to trend upward, adding 17,000 jobs, reflecting continued growth in individual and family services.
• Federal government employment increased by 2,000 jobs. The BLS noted that since peaking in January, federal government employment is down by 277,000 jobs, or 9.2%. Employees on paid leave or receiving ongoing severance pay are counted as employed in the establishment survey.

Job losses were concentrated in:

• Retail trade, which lost 25,000 jobs. Retail trade employment showed little net change in both 2024 and 2025.

Employment showed little change over the month in most other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services.

Monthly Revisions

Revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies and from recalculations of seasonal factors.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for October was revised down by 68,000, from -105,000 to -173,000, and the change for November was revised down by 8,000, from 64,000 to 56,000. With these revisions, employment in October and November combined is 76,000 lower than previously reported.