WP called the unemployment rate in the United States the highest since 2021

Over the past two months, more than 41,000 jobs have been lost in the US labor market, and the unemployment rate has reached its highest level since 2021 at 4.6%. This was reported on December 16 by The Washington Post, citing a report from the U.S. Department of Labor.

"The labor market is cooling. This is a change from what it was at the beginning of summer, when the situation seemed relatively stable. But the data seems to be moving in the wrong direction again," said Guy Berger, director of economic research at the Burning Glass Institute.

The situation in the US labor market has been rapidly deteriorating since June 2025: the pace of hiring new employees is slowing down and the unemployment rate is rising. It clarifies that organizations have stopped recruiting new staff due to rising taxes and inflation. In addition, large companies are cutting jobs due to the development of artificial intelligence.

The drop was especially sharp in October, as the economy lost more than 100,000 jobs due to massive layoffs in the US government. This was the most significant reduction since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, November eased the situation, bringing an increase of 64,000 jobs, which exceeded analysts' expectations.

Although mass layoffs have not yet become systemic, and applications for unemployment benefits remain at a relatively low level, there is an alarming trend in the American labor market, the publication noted.

In the US, the Fed rate has been lowered amid the risk of stagflation. What the media writes

On December 15, Robert Agee, head of the US Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham), noted that the direct damage to American business from the sanctions policy amounted to about $100 billion. According to him, a survey of American companies showed that the United States' own sanctions caused them more damage (8 points out of 10) than Russian countermeasures (5 out of 10).

Following a meeting on December 10, the US Federal Reserve lowered its base rate to 3.5–3.75% per annum due to the risk of stagflation. The regulator also said that it has not yet determined the forecast range of the rate for 2026, but expects its subsequent reduction.

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