FX.co ★ US Unemployment Rate Ticks Lower in December

In December 2025, the US unemployment rate decreased to 4.4%, down from a revised 4.5% in November. This was notable as November's rate was the highest recorded since October 2021 and slightly below the anticipated 4.5% by market analysts. The number of unemployed individuals decreased by 278,000, bringing the total to 7.50 million, while employment figures rose by 232,000, reaching 163.99 million. On the other hand, the labor force saw a reduction of 46,000, totaling 171.50 million, which caused the labor force participation rate to dip by 0.1 percentage point to 62.4%. Additionally, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, accounting for discouraged workers and those part-time for economic reasons, decreased to 8.4% from 8.7% in November, suggesting an alleviation in labor market slack.