Jobs report January 2026:

Job growth was stronger than expected to start 2026, providing some relief to concerns about the state of the U.S. labor market. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 130,000 for January, above the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 55,000, according to seasonally adjusted figures the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday. The total also was an improvement…

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December retail sales were flat, missing expectations

A shopper carries Target bags in San Francisco, California, US, on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Consumers activity slowed sharply for the December holiday shopping season amid a spate of rough weather and persistently higher inflation, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Retail sales were flat on the month…

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Japan’s Nikkei 225 skyrockets over 5% to hit record high as Takaichi secures historic mandate

Bird’s-eye view of central Tokyo including Tokyo Tower at sunrise hours. Vladimir Zakharov | Moment | Getty Images Japanese stocks jumped to a record high Monday, leading gains in the region after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a landmark election victory. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party captured a two-thirds supermajority in the 465-seat lower…

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ADP jobs report January 2026:

The U.S. labor market barely budged in January, with hiring below even muted expectations, according to a report Wednesday from payrolls processing firm ADP. Private companies added just 22,000 positions for the month and the number would have been negative had it not been for a surge of 74,000 hires in the education and health…

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