Goods-producing sectors, which also include mining and logging, wholesale trade, and transport and warehouse struggled over the past year.

Discover how the economy impacts employability and explore essential skills that enhance job prospects, from technical to soft skills, for career success.

Employers added 50,000 jobs in December, nearly unchanged from a downwardly revised figure of 56,000 in November, the Labor Department said Friday.

The U.S. economy is booming with efficiency. But that’s not the best news for the labor market. New numbers out Thursday showed that the economy is indeed booming as individuals become more efficient workers within their companies.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted a chart on his social media account late on Thursday that included job-market data that was not publicly released until Friday morning, a break with long-standing practice the White House said was inadvertent.

The unemployment rate stood at 4.0 percent when President Donald Trump returned to office in January. With December’s 50,000 gain, employers added a total of 584,000 jobs in 2025, down from 2.0 million in 2024 and marking the weakest year for employment growth since 2020.