Job Growth in January: Did the Economy Just Pull a Fast One?

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Well, hold onto your coffee cups, folks! U.S. employers decided to throw a surprise party in January by adding a whopping 130,000 jobs. That’s like finding out your favorite rom-com is actually 90 minutes long instead of 30. Economists were expecting a pretty modest 70,000 jobs, which means they might need to rethink their career choices-like becoming fortune tellers or something.

  • In a plot twist worthy of a season finale, U.S. employers added nearly double the expected jobs-130,000 vs. 70,000. Someone call Hollywood!
  • But wait, there’s a twist: major benchmark revisions slashed total job growth for 2025 from 584,000 to just 181,000. Oops! Looks like someone forgot to carry the one.
  • Meanwhile, crypto markets are doing their best impression of a rollercoaster, with Bitcoin (BTC) down more than 11% for the week. It’s like watching a drama unfold but without the popcorn.

The Labor Department dropped the news bomb on Wednesday that nonfarm payrolls jumped by 130,000 last month-a stark contrast to the economists’ predictions of 70,000. December was a bit of a snooze fest with a downwardly revised gain of only 48,000. Poor December, it just can’t catch a break!

The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3% from 4.4%, giving everyone a tiny glimmer of hope. It’s like finding a dollar in the couch cushions; not a lot, but hey, it’s something!

However, the report wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The Bureau of Labor Statistics went on a job-slaying spree, erasing about 898,000 jobs from payroll estimates covering April 2024 to March 2025. So much for being optimistic-2025’s total nonfarm employment growth got a serious makeover, dropping from 584,000 to just 181,000. Talk about a glow-down!

Also:

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for November was revised down by 15,000, from +56,000 to +41,000. And December? Oh, they decided to give it a little trim too, revising down by 2,000-from +50,000 to +48,000. So, combined, November and December are 17,000 jobs lighter than previously reported. It’s like when you think you have enough chips for nachos, but then you realize you’re short.

All these revisions suggest the labor market was weaker than a soggy noodle over the past year. But hey, January’s figures show a glimmer of renewed hiring momentum as we kick off 2026. Let’s just hope it doesn’t pull a disappearing act again!

As for the crypto crowd? Well, they’re feeling a bit blue with Bitcoin down another 2.5% in the last 24 hours. It’s like watching your favorite stock go on a diet, but it’s not losing weight-it’s just losing value!

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2026-02-11 17:48