The U.S. economy added only 50,000 jobs in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unemployment rate edged down slightly to 4.4% from a revised 4.5%.

Overall, 2025 recorded the weakest annual job growth since 2003, with just 584,000 jobs added during the year.

The slowdown prompted the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates three times in 2025 to support the labor market, CNN has reported.

However, the slight improvement in unemployment makes another rate cut unlikely at the Fed’s upcoming meeting.