Horrible Economic Numbers Released as Unemployment Surges and Economy Enters Hiring Recession
U.S. enters hiring recession as unemployment hits 4.6%, 105,000 jobs lost in October, and wage growth slows to weakest pace in four years.
By Aaron Parnas•December 16, 2025•7 min read
Economy
Good morning, everyone. This update is coming a bit later than usual because I spent last night in the ER and was diagnosed with a mild concussion. Thankfully, I’m okay—and I’m deeply grateful to everyone who reached out with kind messages, support, and yes, even sour candy. It means more than you know.
This morning, we’re tracking deeply troubling economic data. The United States has now officially entered a hiring recession: unemployment is rising, job growth is stalling, and wages remain flat. These numbers are not abstract—they signal real pain for working families across the country.
As we head toward the end of the week, I’m preparing for an intense and critical weekend of work. I will be combing through the Epstein files that are finally set to be released to the public. Notably, TikTok has once again censored an Epstein-related video I posted recently. That tells you everything: some powerful interests do not want the truth coming out.
The United States of America has released horrible job numbers this morning. Delayed federal data shows a weakening U.S. labor market this fall, with 105,000 jobs lost in October, modest gains of 64,000 in November, unemployment rising to 4.6%, the highest since 2021, sluggish wage growth, sharp federal job cuts, and limited strength concentrated mainly in health care and construction while most other sectors stagnated or declined.
As a result, the United States economy has hit a hiring recession per economists:
Wage growth slowed to an annual 3.5% in November—the weakest pace in over four years—as a tightening labor market and reaccelerating inflation narrowed workers’ real earnings gains.
U.S. unemployment has risen to 7.8 million people, a level economists warn reflects a deteriorating labor market with few job openings for laid-off workers, potentially exacerbated by restrictive foreign labor policies.
U.S. retail sales stalled in October—the weakest reading in five months—as declines in autos, gas, and discretionary categories offset modest gains elsewhere, signaling a sputtering consumer economy despite slightly better results excluding those sectors.
A new profile of Susie Wiles has been released for the Vanity Fair, the New York Times summarized it well. Here are several parts of that interview:Wiles said Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files but not in any incriminating way, stated there is no evidence Bill Clinton visited Epstein’s island and that Trump was wrong to suggest otherwise, and said Trump was angry and unaware of Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security prison, which followed an interview initiated by the deputy attorney general.Wiles criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi’s early handling of the Epstein files as politically tone-deaf to Trump’s base—calling the release “binders full of nothingness” and denying any client list existed—while saying JD Vance better grasped the issue’s sensitivity due to his own conspiratorial worldview.Wiles acknowledged warning Trump early against turning his presidency into a “retribution tour,” but later defended his pursuit of figures like Letitia James and James Comey as responses to perceived wrongdoing—conceding the actions can look vindictive and that Trump may seize opportunities for payback when they arise.Wiles expressed frustration with Elon Musk’s erratic, disruptive role in slashing federal agencies—criticizing his mass firings and the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. as poorly handled and initially “aghast,” while disputing but being recorded making remarks about his ketamine use and describing him as an unconventional, difficult actor.Wiles backed Trump’s actions against Venezuela—including bombing suspected drug-trafficking boats as pressure for regime change—while noting congressional approval would be required for land strikes, and she voiced concern that immigration deportations have sometimes been mishandled, urging stricter safeguards and double-checks to avoid wrongful removals.
Wiles said Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files but not in any incriminating way, stated there is no evidence Bill Clinton visited Epstein’s island and that Trump was wrong to suggest otherwise, and said Trump was angry and unaware of Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security prison, which followed an interview initiated by the deputy attorney general.
Wiles criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi’s early handling of the Epstein files as politically tone-deaf to Trump’s base—calling the release “binders full of nothingness” and denying any client list existed—while saying JD Vance better grasped the issue’s sensitivity due to his own conspiratorial worldview.
Wiles acknowledged warning Trump early against turning his presidency into a “retribution tour,” but later defended his pursuit of figures like Letitia James and James Comey as responses to perceived wrongdoing—conceding the actions can look vindictive and that Trump may seize opportunities for payback when they arise.
Wiles expressed frustration with Elon Musk’s erratic, disruptive role in slashing federal agencies—criticizing his mass firings and the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. as poorly handled and initially “aghast,” while disputing but being recorded making remarks about his ketamine use and describing him as an unconventional, difficult actor.
Wiles backed Trump’s actions against Venezuela—including bombing suspected drug-trafficking boats as pressure for regime change—while noting congressional approval would be required for land strikes, and she voiced concern that immigration deportations have sometimes been mishandled, urging stricter safeguards and double-checks to avoid wrongful removals.
The U.S. military carried out new strikes on three suspected drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific, killing eight people and bringing total deaths from such operations since September to at least 94, as the Trump administration defends the campaign as necessary to combat fentanyl and labels traffickers as narco-terrorists.
The Trump administration argued in court that construction of a massive White House ballroom must proceed for national security reasons, defending the demolition of the East Wing and seeking to block a preservationist lawsuit by asserting security needs, incomplete final plans, and the lack of immediate irreparable harm.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward to help capture the Brown University mass shooter, who remains at large amid criticism over campus security and investigative missteps, including a prematurely publicized person of interest who was later released.
Australian authorities say the Bondi beach shooting that killed 15 people was allegedly ISIS-inspired, with police investigating whether the father-and-son suspects received training during a recent trip to the Philippines, uncovering explosives and extremist materials, and prompting calls for tighter gun laws and better intelligence coordination.
According to Axios, Michelle Obama revealed she and Barack Obama were meant to meet Rob and Michele Reiner on the night they were killed, as tributes poured in honoring the couple’s decency and impact on culture and politics, while their son Nick Reiner was arrested and charged in their homicide.
According to NBC News, an on-duty Customs and Border Protection officer fired his weapon after an apparent road-rage confrontation following a minor crash near JFK Airport, with no injuries reported and authorities still searching for the other driver as the investigation continues.
NBC News has confirmed a new House report found that 85% of people granted pardons or clemency by President Trump this year were white and 90% were Jan. 6 defendants, prompting criticism that his aggressive use of clemency has largely bypassed marginalized communities and people imprisoned for drug offenses while wiping out an estimated $1.4 billion in fines and restitution.
Good news:
CNN Hero of the Year Quilen Blackwell is transforming vacant lots on Chicago’s South Side into eco-friendly flower farms that employ and empower local youth, reduce reliance on imported flowers, and reinvest opportunity into communities facing deep poverty.
A 6-year-old girl with a rare, aggressive leukemia is now cancer-free and thriving after receiving CAR T-cell therapy instead of chemotherapy, highlighting the life-saving potential of advanced immunotherapies for children once considered untreatable.
A new desalination plant in Rizhao, China, is producing ultra-low-cost fresh water and green hydrogen from seawater by using renewable energy and waste heat from industry, cutting costs below global benchmarks while also generating valuable byproducts like hydrogen fuel and mineral brine.
