economy

January 9, 2026

'Goodbye, January': What the mixed December jobs report means for the Fed

The final jobs report for 2025 put the kibosh on a Federal Reserve rate cut coming later this month.

'Goodbye, January': What the mixed December jobs report means for the Fed

TL;DR

  • U.S. economy added 50,000 jobs in December, below the forecast of 73,000.
  • Unemployment rate fell to 4.4% from 4.6%, indicating labor market stability.
  • Federal Reserve is unlikely to cut interest rates in January due to the mixed jobs report.
  • Traders are pricing in a greater than 52% chance of a rate cut in April.
  • Other recent economic data, including Q3 GDP and service sector growth, suggests a stronger economy.
  • Economists and investors offer varied interpretations, with some seeing resilience and others mixed signals.

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