US unemployment hits highest level since 2021 as labour market cools

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Andy HirschfeldDecember 16, 2025 at 06:16 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

In December 2025, a US Department of Labor report revealed a cooling labor market. The US economy lost 41,000 jobs in October and November, with October seeing 105,000 jobs lost and November gaining 64,000. Consequently, the unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent, the highest since 2021. October's job losses were largely due to the end of federal worker contracts because of the government shutdown. Job gains occurred in healthcare, social assistance, and construction, while losses were seen in transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing. The economic uncertainty is driven by tariffs and immigration policies.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Washington 30% European Union 30% France 30% England 30% Korea Zinc 40% Kevin Hassett 60% Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics 70% United States ×390%

Keywords

unemployment rate 90% labour market 80% job losses 70% economic uncertainty 60% healthcare 60% construction 50% manufacturing jobs 50% immigration policies 40% tariffs 40%