Jobs report updates: Dow, S&P futures hold steady ahead of employment data release

Leisure and hospitality had the largest gain over the month in December among major industries, adding 47,000 jobs. Retail had the largest loss, falling by 25,000.

Looking at the year overall, healthcare and social assistance were bright spots, adding over 700,000 jobs between December 2024 and December 2025. The government and the professional and business services sectors had relatively large job losses. Many government workers took the federal buyout offered as part of the big DOGE-backed employment cuts last year.

"I'd enjoyed my time in the federal government, but it was clear that this would no longer be the same job I'd signed up for," said Jide Adebowale, who took the buyout and has since landed a job in the tech sector.

Last month's report showed the US added 50,000 jobs in December, below the expected 70,000.

It capped off several months of weak gains and even a few reports showing job losses. Laura Ullrich, the director of economic research in North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, said these have been "mediocre" reports when taken together.

"It doesn't have to be a really bad report for the cumulative effect to be pretty negative," Ullrich told Business Insider.

The new report will include revised employment, hours, and earnings data, so the past few years of data could be affected.

Cooler job growth didn't lead to a massive surge in unemployment last year. Unemployment rose from 4% in January to 4.4% in December, still pretty low.

Preston Caldwell, the chief US economist at Morningstar, said in commentary that unemployment hasn't accelerated even more quickly because the drop in the supply of workers is offsetting cooler demand for workers.

"Even though the unemployment rate is still fairly low by historical standards, there's not much hiring or firing going on, and that's bad news for people who are trying to find a job," Jed Kolko, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Business Insider. "We've seen employment fall for younger workers who are typically near the beginning of their career."

Investors are holding their breath for today's jobs report.

Futures for the three main US stock indexes are virtually unmoved as of around 6 a.m. ET. S&P 500 futures are flat, Dow Jones futures are up about 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures are down about 0.1%.

Precious metals are trading higher with gold up 1.9% at around $5,130 an ounce, and silver up 6% at just over $85 per troy ounce. Crude oil prices are also in the green with Brent crude up 1.3% at around $69.70, and West Texas Intermediate up 1.4% at $64.80.