Feedback on December Employment Report

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by Calculated Threat on 1/10/2025 09:47:00 AM

The headline jobs quantity within the December employment report was properly above expectations, nevertheless, October and November payrolls had been revised down by 8,000 mixed.   The participation charge was unchanged, the employment inhabitants ratio elevated, and the unemployment charge decreased to 4.1%.

Prime (25 to 54 Years Previous) Participation

For the reason that total participation charge is impacted by each cyclical (recession) and demographic (growing old inhabitants, youthful folks staying at school) causes, right here is the employment-population ratio for the important thing working age group: 25 to 54 years previous.

The 25 to 54 years previous participation charge decreased in December at 83.4% from 83.5% in November.

The 25 to 54 employment inhabitants ratio elevated to 80.5% from 80.4% the earlier month.

Each are down from the latest peaks, however nonetheless close to the best degree this millennium.

Common Hourly Wages

WagesThe graph exhibits the nominal year-over-year change in “Average Hourly Earnings” for all personal staff from the Present Employment Statistics (CES).  

There was an enormous enhance initially of the pandemic as decrease paid staff had been let go, after which the pandemic associated spike reversed a 12 months later.

Wage development has trended down after peaking at 5.9% YoY in March 2022 and was at 3.9% YoY in December.   

Half Time for Financial Causes

Part Time WorkersFrom the BLS report:

The variety of folks employed half time for financial causes, at 4.4 million, modified
little in December and is little completely different from a 12 months earlier. These people would
have most popular full-time employment however had been working half time as a result of their hours had
been diminished or they had been unable to search out full-time jobs.

The number of persons working part time for economic reasons decreased in December to 4.36 million from 4.47 million in November.  This is close to the pre-pandemic levels.

These workers are included in the alternate measure of labor underutilization (U-6) that decreased to 7.5% from 7.7% in the previous month. This is down from the record high in April 2020 of 22.9% and up from the lowest level on record (seasonally adjusted) in December 2022 (6.6%). (This series started in 1994). This measure is above the 7.0% level in February 2020 (pre-pandemic).

Unemployed over 26 Weeks

Unemployed Over 26 WeeksThis graph exhibits the variety of employees unemployed for 27 weeks or extra.

In accordance with the BLS, there are 1.51 million employees who’ve been unemployed for greater than 26 weeks and nonetheless need a job, down from 1.65 million the earlier month.

That is down from post-pandemic excessive of 4.171 million, and up from the latest low of 1.056 million.

That is above pre-pandemic ranges.

Job Streak

By means of December 2024, the employment report indicated optimistic job development for 48 consecutive months, placing the present streak in 2nd place of the longest job streaks in US historical past (since 1939).  It seems this streak will survive the annual benchmark revision (that can revise down job development).


Headline Jobs, High 10 Streaks
12 months Ended Streak, Months
1 2020 113
2 tie 20241 48
2 tie 1990 48
4 2007 46
5 1979 45
6 tie 1943 33
6 tie 1986 33
6 tie 2000 33
9 1967 29
10 1995 25
1Currrent Streak


Abstract:

The headline jobs quantity within the December employment report was properly above expectations, nevertheless, October and November payrolls had been revised down by 8,000 mixed. The participation charge was unchanged, the employment inhabitants ratio elevated, and the unemployment charge decreased to 4.1%.

A powerful employment report.

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