Key takeaway: unemployment rate fell to 4.4%

Non-farm payrolls increased by just 50,000 in December while the unemployment rate dipped to 4.4%, reinforcing the “low-hire, low-fire” theme of the past few months. Does this point to a Fed pause at the January meeting? And how are consumers holding up against this backdrop? Join chief U.S. economist Mike Feroli and Alexa Hanelin from the North America Rate Sales team as they discuss the latest numbers. 

This episode was recorded on January 9, 2026.

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