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One downside for the president: An improving labor market likely ratifies the Federal Reserve’s posture of holding interest rates steady for now.
Hiring sign is displayed in front of a restaurant in Chicago, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. | Nam Y. Huh/AP
The U.S. economy added more jobs than expected in January, in an early sign that the labor market may be regaining strength.
The data, released Wednesday by the Labor Department, showed the U.S. added a net 130,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent, the second month in a row that joblessness fell.
