Weak US Jobs Report Coincides With $1B Spot Bitcoin ETF Outflows

Key Insights:

• The weak December 2025 US jobs report sent mixed signals across the financial sector after the data fell short of estimates made earlier by economists.
• The unemployment rate and nonfarm payrolls dropped below estimates, hence disappointing the market.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States added approximately 49,000 jobs each month in 2025.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the US jobs report on Friday. It revealed a set of mixed signals about the current state of the labor market. Both the unemployment rate and nonfarm payrolls dropped below estimates, but Bitcoin price increased.

BTC price reacted to the news with a positive tone and recorded a 1% uptick over the last 24 hours. It reached an intraday high of $91,531. The rise may have reflected hopes that slower hiring could make the Fed hold interest rates steady.

At the same time, the crypto market’s U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw outflows for a third day in a row on Thursday. During the streak, the total of 11 funds recorded nearly $1 billion, as per data from Farside investors.

December US Jobs Report Numbers Fall Short, Bitcoin Price Gains

U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by just 50,000 in December, below the 60,000 that economists expected and less than November’s revised gain of 56,000. October’s job losses were also revised deeper than first reported.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest US jobs report, the United States added approximately 49,000 jobs each month in 2025. On the other hand, the unemployment rate slipped to 4.4%, beating forecasts and improving from November’s revised level. On the surface, that decline suggested parts of the labor market are finding their footing.

Last year, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stated that the Fed focuses on the unemployment rate when evaluating the job market. The recent drop makes it more likely that rates will stay steady.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin price traded 1% up over the last 24 hours to cross the $91,000 mark and reached an intraday high of $91,531.

U.S. Bitcoin ETFs See $1B Outflows Over Three Days

The 11 U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen a combined net outflow of $1.128 billion over the past three days, according to Farside Investors. This recent streak has almost erased the $1.16 billion in net inflows recorded on January 1 and 5, 2026.

At the time of writing, the exchange-traded funds’ year-to-date inflows are nearly flat, with the early optimism witnessed on the first days of January slowly fading. The big inflows at the start of the year no longer signal a clear bullish trend.

However, despite recent outflows, the seven-day net flow remains positive at $240.7 million. This measure, which sums all inflows and outflows over the past week, shows that some capital is still entering Bitcoin ETFs.

The data suggests that while short-term sentiment has cooled, longer-term investor interest has not disappeared.

Ideally, the start-of-year rally pushed Bitcoin above $94,000, entering a range where many recent top buyers are concentrated. Their cost basis sits between $92,100 and $117,400, creating a zone of potential resistance, according to Glassnode’s Wednesday report.

This setup increases the risk of selling pressure. Investors in this range can exit without taking losses, making it harder for Bitcoin to sustain a strong upward move. Any attempt to kickstart a new bull phase may take time, as the market works through this overhead supply.