PBS News Hour - Segments The mounting economic challenges weakening the job market
Jan 9, 2026
Paul Solman, the Economics correspondent for PBS NewsHour, dives into the troubling state of the U.S. job market. The segment reveals a mere 50,000 jobs were added in December, marking the weakest annual growth since the pandemic. Solman highlights sectors like health care and hospitality that saw some job gains, while also addressing the concerning racial disparities in unemployment rates. As young workers face a spike in joblessness and fewer postings, the discussion wraps with insights on how these trends could influence Federal Reserve policy.
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Job Growth Has Flatlined Since Spring
- Job growth in 2025 slowed sharply to about 50,000 in December and 584,000 for the year, the weakest since the pandemic.
- Mark Zandi and Paul Solman say growth has largely flatlined since spring, adding roughly 100,000 fewer jobs monthly than 2024.
Revisions Reveal Even Weaker Payrolls
- Revisions subtracted about 70,000 jobs from prior months and more downward revisions are expected.
- Economists warn the published numbers understate how weak payrolls have become once revisions finish.
A Seasoned Professional's Long Job Hunt
- Shawna Pinnock-Glover, a 15-year social media director, has been jobless since Feb 10, 2025 and applied to about 860 roles.
- She got roughly nine or ten interviews and describes the search as emotionally crushing.