A jobs report to be released on Friday will provide a key gauge of the nation’s economic health, just days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. The findings could also help determine whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates when officials meet later this month.

In 2024, job growth continued to cool off, settling back into a familiar gait that was roughly in line with the pace of job creation in 2010-2019.

Economists expect the Bureau of Labor Statistics to report a gain of 155,000 jobs, a step down from the surprising 227,000 increase in November.