Eco Week Ahead
Modest US Hiring to Cap a Sluggish Year for the Job Market
A "We Are Hiring" sign at the Appalachian State University internship and job fair in Boone, North Carolina.
Photographer: Allison Joyce/BloombergUS job gains probably remained modest in December, wrapping up one of the weakest years for employment growth since 2009.
Economists project nearly 60,000 jobs were added for the month, based on the median of a Bloomberg survey ahead of Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. That would leave payrolls up about 670,000 for 2025, far below the 2 million jobs added in 2024. The jobless rate probably eased to 4.5% in December from a four-year high.