The Labor Departments benchmark revisions to full-year 2025 data revealed that a labor market already viewed as soft actually performed worse than initially thought.

Revisions brought the total number of jobs added last year down by more than 403,000, to only 181,000 for the year – an exceptionally weak year by almost any standard. There are now real doubts about how long the broader economy can continue to power forward with the job market.

This is far fewer than the 1.46 million jobs that were added in 2024.

Wednesday’s reports further complicate the task for President Donald Trump and Republicans as they attempt to craft an economic narrative going into the 2026 midterm elections. Polls show that the president’s approval rating on the economy has declined, while consumer sentiment has been poor, particularly around the jobs market.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/january-jobs-revisions-trump-rcna258398