Employment Growth Is Losing Momentum.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), payroll employment growth, which averaged between 150,000 and 250,000 jobs per month before the pandemic, has slowed significantly. From May to December 2025, the average growth has dropped to just 12,000 jobs per month. In the past seven months, the U.S. economy has added only 74,000 jobs, compared to 1.1 million jobs added during the same period in 2024. This marks the slowest growth rate outside of recessionary periods in this century.
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(Original air-date: 1/9/26)