By Tom Burnett CFA
On February 11, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employment Report for January. Total employment rose by 130,000 while the unemployment rate fell from 4.4% to 4.3%. One year ago, that figure was 4.0% The number of unemployed job seekers rose to 7.4 million, compared to 6.9 million a year ago. Job growth in 2025 averaged 15,000 per month.
Nonfarm payroll hourly earnings rose by $0.15 to $37.17, up 3.7% from a year ago.
Revisions to prior reports totaled a reduction of 17,000 jobs.
The next Employment Report will be issued on March 6, 2026.
Tom Burnett CFA is Director of Research