The United States added 130,000 jobs in January, according to a labour market report released on Wednesday. The figure exceeded economists' expectations of 70,000 new jobs and marked a rebound after months of weaker growth, though it remained 13,000 below the 143,000 jobs added in January 2025.
The unemployment rate stood at 4.3 per cent, a slight cooling from the autumn. However, the report also included major revisions to the 2025 jobs data, with total new jobs for the year cut from an initially reported 584,000 to just 181,000—the weakest year of job growth since the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast, two million jobs were added in 2024.
January's figures were boosted by a surge from December's 50,000 jobs, but the broader picture remains uncertain. The report, originally scheduled for 6 February, was delayed by a brief government shutdown. President Donald Trump celebrated the data on social media, calling it “GREAT JOBS NUMBERS, FAR GREATER THAN EXPECTED”.
Other indicators painted a mixed picture. Private payrolls grew by only 22,000 jobs in January, well below the 45,000 forecast and the 140,000 added a year earlier. US employers announced 108,435 layoffs in January 2026, up 118 per cent from January 2025—the highest January total since 2009. Job openings fell to 6.542 million in December 2025, the lowest level since September 2020.
White House adviser Peter Navarro had warned against high expectations, predicting a figure around 50,000. He argued that job figures during the previous administration were inflated due to high immigration, claiming that many jobs went to illegal immigrants. The weakening labour market has not prompted the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, as inflation remains unstable at 2.7 per cent in December, with tariff effects still feeding through prices.
