Economic & Market Watch

In the News

Economy

• The U.S. added just 50,000 jobs in December 2025, ending the year with the smallest monthly average gain since the pandemic, though the unemployment rate edged down to 4.4%, highlighting a soft labor market.
• A new criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell intensified market concerns about monetary policy independence and future rate decisions, complicating the U.S. economic outlook.

Markets

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures traded around $59 per barrel Monday morning, with prices pressured by abundant global supply and mixed geopolitical factors.
• The dollar weakened while gold prices jumped to a record after Fed Chair Powell accused the Trump administration of seeking to pressure the central bank with a criminal indictment.

Current Events

• The U.S. Supreme Court delayed its decision on challenges to Trump-era tariffs, leaving businesses uncertain about trade policy going into 2026.
• President Trump is calling for a temporary 10% cap on credit card interest rates, saying that he wants the one-year cap to begin as early as January 20.

Meet the Team

CFC's economic research team—John Suter, Sam Kem and Antony Davies—share their expert, yet easily digestible, perspective on what you need to know.

Have feedback about the podcast? A topic you'd like the EMW team to cover? Get in touch at economicresearch@nrucfc.coop.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Trading Economics