Today, the delayed Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report showed that January 2026 job growth exceeded expectations, offering some reassurance about the health of the U.S. labor market.
The report, delayed nearly a week by the partial government shutdown that ended Feb. 3, stated: “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 130,000 in January, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.3 percent.”
“Job gains occurred in health care, social assistance, and construction, while federal government and financial activities lost jobs.”
Federal government jobs decreased by 34,000, partly due to layoffs last year through Department of Government Efficiency cuts. However, deferred resignations that were accepted also dropped from the payroll count, according to the BLS. Additionally, financial activities experienced a decline of 22,000.
Regarding unemployment, the BLS reported, “Both the unemployment rate, at 4.3 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 7.4 million, changed little in January. These measures are higher than a year earlier, when the jobless rate was 4.0 percent, and the number of unemployed people was 6.9 million.”
Following the report’s release, U.S. stock futures rose in premarket trading. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures picked up roughly 0.4%, while the Nasdaq 100 also gained roughly 0.4%.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
