The US added 130,000 jobs in January, according to a labour market report released on Wednesday, surpassing economists' expectations of 70,000. The unemployment rate stood at 4.3%, a slight cooling since the autumn.
Despite the monthly boost, the report revised down total job growth for 2025 to 181,000 from an initially reported 584,000, marking the weakest year since the Covid-19 pandemic. In comparison, 2 million jobs were added in 2024.
The report, delayed by a brief government shutdown in early February, comes amid a tumultuous period for the US economy, with changing trade and immigration policies creating instability. President Donald Trump celebrated the figures, posting on social media: 'Just in: GREAT JOBS NUMBERS, FAR GREATER THAN EXPECTED!'
However, other indicators painted a mixed picture. Private payrolls grew by only 22,000 in January, below the 45,000 expected. Layoffs announced by US employers in January 2026 totalled 108,435, up 118% from a year earlier and the highest for that month since 2009. Job openings in December 2025 fell to 6.542 million, the lowest since September 2020.
The Federal Reserve remains cautious, with inflation at 2.7% in December and tariff effects still flowing through prices. Consumer sentiment in February was 57.3, more than 11% lower than a year earlier.
