Prices rose 2.7% in December from a year ago, a sign that inflation continues rising but in line with the pace seen in recent months.

Economists expect the December CPI inflation report to show price growth remained elevated and cautioned it may have a downward bias due to missing data from the government shutdown.

2025 was marked by relatively strong job growth in the first few months, followed by cooling, with some months showing net job losses after revisions.

Employers across the U.S. added 50,000 jobs in December, capping a year of muted job growth that saw employers pull back on hiring amid economic uncertainty. The monthly job gains were below the 55,000 forecast by economists, according to a poll by FactSet.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its jobs report, showing that the US added 50,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.4%.

The U.S. government posted a $145 billion budget deficit ‌for December, up 67% or $58 billion from a year earlier due to record outlays that were inflated by calendar shifts in benefit payments and receipts,

Hiring slowed more than expected in December, a sluggish end to what was one of the weakest years of job growth in decades, a dynamic that further amplified America’s affordability crisis.