Hiring slowed at the end of last year, as employers added an estimated 50,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.4%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday.

U.S. productivity accelerated to a 4.9% annual clip in the third quarter, the government said Thursday. That’s the fastest pace in two years. The gain was in line with forecasts of economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal. Productivity has been steadily improving, and some economists expect the trend to continue.

As economists pointed to some of the president’s policies to explain the latest Labor Department data, White House aides sought to make the case for optimism in the new year.

A robust GDP print, profit growth, and 2026 policy tailwinds show why the U.S. economy may stay resilient despite labor‑market weakness and lingering recession worries.

The U.S. economy added a modest 50,000 jobs in December. It was below expectations and capped the weakest year for job growth since the pandemic. Employers added a total of 584,000 jobs for all of 2025,

A panel of economic luminaries said the long-run risk posed by mounting federal debt represented a paramount problem facing the US economy.

From stubbornly high living costs to a softer labor market, economists say these are the forces that will shape the year ahead.

Citadel Securities macro strategist Frank Flight says the market is underestimating U.S. economic growth potential. That's after an evaluation of how rates, FX, credit and equities are trading relative to their own history.

The American economy at the end of 2025 looks very different from a year ago. Tariffs are higher, AI occupies a greater share of overall spending, and the federal government under President Donald Trump is demanding a greater say in how businesses are run. All that change leaves observers uncertain about what 2026 will bring.

Ken Peng of Citi Wealth believes that U.S. economic growth and inflation are not slowing down. He says that 2025's 75 BPS Federal Reserve rate cut, a possible reduction in tariffs following the Supreme Court decision and the AI story will keep the U.