Job Growth Hits a Wall: What's Going On?

The job market is in a funk. It's not growing much, and it's not shrinking either. This hasn't happened since the Great Recession in 2009. Back then, the Black Eyed Peas were topping the charts, and Bitcoin was worth almost nothing. A recent report shows that job growth in the U. S. has been slow. It's been stuck at around 0. 1% for most of 2025. That's a big drop from the peak of 0. 36% in 2022. The report comes from Vanguard, one of the few private companies tracking the job market since the government shutdown delayed official figures. So, why is this happening? Well, employers are in a tough spot. They're not sure what to do. They're not hiring much, but they're not firing people either. It's like they're stuck in the middle. There are a few reasons for this. One is the economic policies coming out of the White House. Tariffs and stricter immigration rules are making things uncertain. Employers don't know what to expect, so they're playing it safe. This situation is called a "low hire, low fire" market. It's not great, but it's not terrible either. It's just. . . meh. People have jobs, but not many new ones are being created. It's a bit like being stuck in neutral. What does this mean for the future? It's hard to say. The job market could pick up, or it could stay like this for a while. One thing is for sure, though. It's not a great sign.