Economy

President releases jobs data prior to official report as 2025 hiring slows significantly

Illustration for: President releases jobs data prior to official report as 2025 hiring slows significantly
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Jan 11, 2026

THE BARE STORY

President Trump posted a graph containing December U.S. jobs data on social media Thursday evening, prior to the Department of Labor's scheduled release on Friday morning. The figures in the president's post matched the official report, which showed employers added 50,000 jobs in December while the unemployment rate decreased to 4.4%.

When questioned about the early release, the president told reporters he posts numbers that are given to him. A White House official characterized the incident as an "inadvertent public disclosure" derived from pre-released briefing materials and stated that administration protocols regarding economic data are being reviewed. Federal economic data is typically held under strict embargo to prevent market manipulation, though some investment advisers noted there were no immediate signs of market disruption resulting from the post.

The official report highlighted a cooling labor market, with the economy adding approximately 584,000 jobs total in 2025. This figure marks a sharp decline from the more than 2 million jobs added in 2024 and represents the lowest annual total outside of a recession since 2003. Data also indicated that the share of long-term unemployment reached its highest level since early 2022.

Economists analyzed the slowdown, with Heather Long of Navy Federal Credit Union describing the year as a "hiring recession." Analysts noted that the healthcare sector accounted for roughly 69% of the job growth in 2025, suggesting an unstable foundation for the labor market. Experts attributed the sluggish hiring to factors including tariffs, business uncertainty, and interest rates, predicting the trend could continue through the first half of 2026.

Same Facts. Different Perspectives.

Two AI models. Two viewpoints. One factual foundation.

Perspective by Claude

• The early release of data was characterized as an unintentional error based on briefing materials. A White House official described the incident as an "inadvertent public disclosure" that originated from pre-released briefing documents. Following the event, the official stated that the administration is currently reviewing its protocols regarding the handling of economic data.

• The President stated that he simply shared the information provided to him. When questioned by reporters regarding the timing of the release, President Trump explained that he posts numbers that are given to him. The figures contained in the graph he posted matched the official Department of Labor report, which showed the unemployment rate decreasing to 4.4%.

• Market observers noted no immediate disruption despite the breach of embargo protocols. While federal economic data is typically held under strict embargo to prevent market manipulation, investment advisers indicated there were no immediate signs of market disruption following the social media post. The data released officially on Friday morning confirmed the addition of 50,000 jobs in December.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• Finding new employment may become significantly more difficult as the labor market enters a "hiring recession," with annual job gains hitting their lowest non-recession level since 2003.

• Job opportunities may be scarce outside the healthcare sector, which accounted for roughly 69% of growth in 2025, suggesting an unstable foundation for the broader labor market.

• Those currently out of work may face extended job searches, as data indicates the share of long-term unemployment has reached its highest level since early 2022.

• You should expect sluggish hiring trends to persist through the first half of 2026, as experts attribute the slowdown to tariffs, interest rates, and business uncertainty.

• While the President's early release of data caused no immediate market disruption, the administration is reviewing protocols, which may alter how economic information is communicated to the public.

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