Unemployment will be a pivotal piece of economic information in the new year. The first ADP report of 2026 shows a modest increase of 41,000 jobs, beneath forecasts of 47,000. Yet, the report comes on the heels of an extremely weak November report with a revised loss of 32,000 jobs as hiring lagged in Q4.
Do not take these figures at face value or as proof of a recovering job market. A 41,000 uptick is far below the strong payroll growth seen earlier in the decade. We are witnessing a structural slowdown. Businesses are fragile and adjusting to higher costs in both rates and goods. Workers have become more expensive for businesses to retain in the once deemed “entry level” roles that have been adjusted to meet arbitrary price standards instead of productivity. Manufacturing remains weak despite every administration focusing on bringing production back to America. The most recent report showed a decline of 5,000 positions in manufacturing and another 3,000 gone in the goods-producing industries overall.
Large businesses are not hiring. They’re at capacity based on the economic reality of an economy in stagflation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the closely monitored nonfarm payrolls report this Friday for the first time since the government shutdown. The Fed may look to determine rates, but lower borrowing costs will not suffice as employers simply do not have confidence in the economic landscape of tomorrow.