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.

Without the gyrations caused by strikes and storms, the overall picture for the close of 2024 is expected to reflect steady growth.

The December jobs report is expected to show a softening labor market, but nothing to get alarmed about.

Follow live coverage and analysis of the December jobs report, set to be released Friday at 8:30 Eastern time.

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.

Jobs data for December will add to ongoing mixed signals in the U.S. labor market. Analysts surveyed by Dow Jones expect 155,000 jobs added on the month, down from 227,000 in November, with the unemployment rate expected to have remained unchanged at 4.

US employers likely added a healthy number of jobs in December and the unemployment rate was unchanged, showcasing a labor market that for another year defied expectations for a sharper slowdown.

Economists expect the latest jobs report to show the labor market continued to cool in December but not enough to prompt a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in January.