U.S. Labor Market

Gallup’s latest survey finds 45% of U.S. workers used AI at work at least a few times in Q3 2025, up more than 20 points year over year, with 23% using it weekly and 10% daily. Adoption is highest in tech (50%), finance (33%) and professional services (30%), lower in retail and manufacturing (18% each) and healthcare (21%), and more prevalent among senior roles; chatbots are the most common tool, used by over 60% of adopters.

The Labor Department said Thursday that initial unemployment claims rose by 44,000 to 236,000 for the week ending Dec. 6, signaling a softer labor market even as claims remain historically low. The four‑week average ticked up to 216,750 and continuing claims fell to 1.84 million for the prior week, while Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned this week that recent job gains may be overstated and the labor market faces 'significant downside risks.'

The Labor Department’s JOLTS report released Dec. 9 shows U.S. job openings were 7.67 million in October, essentially unchanged from September’s 7.66 million, with layoffs rising and quits falling. Due to the 43‑day federal shutdown, September and October JOLTS were combined, no October unemployment rate will be published, and the department will issue October payroll figures alongside the delayed full November jobs report next Tuesday.