U.S. job growth slows in December, unemployment rate eases to 4.4 pct

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. labor market ended 2025 on a noticeably soft note, with job creation in December falling short of expectations and the unemployment rate ticking down to 4.4 percent in December, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.