2025 WORST YEAR FOR U.S. HIRING SINCE 2003 (OUTSIDE RECESSIONS) The U.S. added just 181,000 jobs in 2025—about 15,000 per month—after major revisions, making it the weakest hiring year outside a recession since 2003. Despite the downgrade, January showed a strong rebound, with payrolls beating forecasts and unemployment falling. The revisions reflect updated benchmark data and changes to the BLS business-formation model.(*Walter Bloomberg)