The US economy added 130,000 jobs in January, surpassing economists' expectations of 70,000, according to a labour market report released on Wednesday. The unemployment rate stood at 4.3%, a slight cooling since the autumn.
Despite the better-than-expected monthly figure, the report included significant downward revisions to 2025 job growth. Total new jobs for the year were revised to 181,000, down from an initially reported 584,000, marking the weakest year of job creation since the Covid-19 pandemic. In comparison, 2 million jobs were added in 2024.
The January gains were 13,000 fewer than the 143,000 jobs added a year earlier, but more than double the 50,000 jobs added in December. Private payrolls grew by only 22,000 in January, below the 45,000 expected and down from 140,000 in January 2025.
The report, originally scheduled for 6 February, was delayed by a brief government shutdown. President Donald Trump celebrated the figures on social media, posting: 'Just in: GREAT JOBS NUMBERS, FAR GREATER THAN EXPECTED!'
Other data painted a mixed picture. US employers announced 108,435 layoffs in January 2026, up 118% from a year earlier and the highest January total since 2009. Job openings fell to 6.542 million in December 2025, the lowest since September 2020. The Federal Reserve has held interest rates steady, with inflation at 2.7% in December and tariff effects still feeding through prices.
