After years of whiplash - from the great resignation to "the big stay" - the U.S. hiring market is entering 2026 in an unfamiliar place: not collapsing, not booming, but stuck in a cautious holding ...

There was a strong 50,200 rise in full-time employment numbers in December, though that was moderated by a 40,000 drop in part-time positions that took back some of the strength the last two months.