Fed mouthpiece: Non-farm payroll report provides ample reason for Fed to hold rates steady this month

Nick Timiraos, often referred to as the "Federal Reserve mouthpiece," recently wrote: "Tonight's December jobs report provides ample reason for Fed officials to remain on the sidelines at this month's meeting. Nonfarm payrolls increased by only 50,000, and the three-month average of private sector hiring fell to 29,000, the second-lowest growth rate of the year. This sluggish pace of job growth underscores the dynamic of a 'slow hiring, slow laying off' labor market in 2025. However, the decline in the unemployment rate has temporarily eased extreme concerns about a deteriorating labor market. It is precisely these concerns that have prompted the Fed to cut interest rates in the last three meetings. This report reinforces market expectations that the Fed will hold rates steady at its January 27-28 meeting, but the weak hiring data also ensures that the debate about the health of the labor market is far from over." (Jinshi)