The Bureau of Labor and Statistics releases the employment figures for January today [BLS DATA HERE]. Overall, in the establishment survey, 130,000 jobs were added and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%. This is much stronger than anticipated and there are indications of significant movement back to work as the exfiltration of illegal alien workers continues.
Via WSJ – “The U.S. added 130,000 jobs in January, surging past expectations and marking a strong start to the year following a weak year of job growth. The January numbers from the Labor Department were above the seasonally adjusted 48,000 jobs added in December, which were revised slightly lower. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal were expecting 55,000 jobs in January.
The unemployment rate, which is based on a separate survey from the jobs figures, fell to 4.3% from 4.4%.” (more)
What I find interesting in the Household ‘Employment’ Survey is the number of people going back into the workforce. I am left to wonder if the ICE removals are starting to create employer driven incentives, increased wages etc. that seem to be pulling sidelined workers back to the labor market.
[SOURCE]
528,000 more people employed. The unemployed dropped by 141,000, and the number of people not in the labor force dropped by 221,000.
A very interesting result.
NEW: Job growth SURGED in January, adding 130,000 total non-farm jobs and 172,000 private sector jobs — shattering expectations once again.
The unemployment rate fell. Wages grew. Federal employment is now at its lowest level since 1966.
This is the Trump Economy 📈📈📈 pic.twitter.com/JxyUYGE1c9
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 11, 2026
More evidence PDJT knows more than all the experts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sort of surprised at the majority reaction here. In my mind, The job market sucks. I pray these BLS numbers are real and the boom just hasn’t reached Philadelphia yet. I’m doubtful.
My two 20 something kids (who were both excellent students) have very good jobs, but only their friends who were also excellent students also have good jobs. And not even all of them. And Except for the ones who went into nursing, the friends who were average students are all really languishing. And it looks like travel nursing is drying up.
My Penn State junior (average student) thought he had secured a summer internship only to have it pulled because the corporation decided not to have an internship program this summer.
I’m worried when we cheerlead these jobs numbers that we sound like the Dems did during the Biden administration – “Stop whining! The economy is great!” That attitude is going to cost us the midterms.
Living in blue states have consequences…
In order to get jobs into a state the state M U S T cooperate. This means lowering regulations, workman’s comp, unemployment rates and tort law reform to the mid range of the 50 states in the Union. Otherwise, the industries will simply go to states that have a favorable economic climate for them. If you want to catch fish… bait the hook!
My advice is tell these young average kids to look into the trades or getting their CDL.
Join the military.
There are so many things to do in life instead of worrying about corporate America.
Take it from someone who was a bum in high school with no direction.
Military straightened me out and the trades have gave me a decent life.
Exactly! Trade schools are hard to find but the Local trade union is always looking for paid apprentices to hire in all trades. It’s state funded here. Only problem with our personal Union is they don’t pair apprentices with Journeymen willing to teach. Our program needs an overhaul! It’s a DNC thing but it works. Good pay and benefits, depending on the trade! No formal education required!
What do you consider “FORMAL EDUCATION” ???
Absolutely! My son’s current plan is to become an electrician if he doesn’t get an office job. With only a year of college left at this point, he’s going to finish up. He’s fortunate to have no loans.
Navy did me a world of good! 30 years worth, nice retirement!
Wait until the January labor report revisions come out. The revised reports usually reveal more about what’s really happening and most recently have shown lower overall job additions. Also, the pace of AI technology and software development – AI is actually programming its own enhancements – will eventually wipe out entry jobs along with mid-management positions depending upon the industry. Robots programmed with human-like dexterity will replace many more blue-collar workers. I don’t understand why the Administration is gaslighting the country on these issues. I agree with your comment. Things are not booming on main street as the business media and the Trump admin want us to believe. Who is advising him? Hmmm.
YOU FOCUS ON COLLEGE KIDS WHEN YOUR FOCUS SHOULD BE MUCH BROADER!
AND, you focus on a dying BLUE CITY!!! We’ve all observed scenes from the streets of Philly….that’s not a nice place and your report from the suburbs is NOT on point!
I sincerely hope you’re right – I’m simply speaking as I find. I live in this dying blue city. And I’m not worried about my own kids. They’ll be fine. They good work ethics, they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty, and most importantly, they’ll graduate college debt free. They certainly know the trades are a good option.
But you’re making a mistake if you discount the situation here in Philadelphia because we’re a dying blue city. JD Vance will want to win Pennsylvania and he’s not going to win Pennsylvania unless the economy here picks up. Last time around, my Penn State son and his friends made the 5 hour round trip home to vote for Trump. I don’t see these boys having the same enthusiasm for anyone in 2028.
It will take are longer to realize the impact in blue states because they fight against their citizens best interests. Once the ball gets rolling on the exportation of illegal aliens , wages will adjust upward and housing will ease. Less welfare ,graft and voter fraud, will not be hidden as well, taxes fall, tariffs work as planned and we begin to see small business sourcing locally benefiting from tariff avoidance and Main Street will take off like a rocket. I love it when a plan comes together. 💕 And best of all, all the doom and gloom media will again start to implode😜
Tess, you’re spot on regarding Philadelphia. I’ve lived in and around Philadelphia since 1992. And the Gen Z job issue is very real. It’s also very real for lots of older people. Many companies are still firing Americans and hiring foreign labor. Ever been to the Comcast building downtown at lunchtime….nothing but foreign labor streaming in and out. Things are improving in spots where Americans are getting hired again as evidenced by this month’s job report, but we have millions of nonworking men, most of whom have just given up because the job market has been bad for a very long time. It’s nice to see one month of good numbers but given the history of job revisions downward in subsequent reports, I am skeptical that job growth is taking hold.
As a reference, in the mid-1980s, monthly net job growth would be 300,000 to 500,000 or more every month. And that was with a US population of around 260M people whereas we have around 330M people now…so things are pretty bleak in a lot of places, Philadelphia included. I don’t think the President understands how many millions of men want to work but companies, economists, Congress, and pundits have written them off by calling them lazy or drug addled. I don’t think a lot of people understand how DEI in hiring targets men, (white men especially), and keep them out of good jobs. Human Resources departments get dozens of applicants for a single job but I could write a book on the harmful things they do to candidates, especially middle aged ones. Some men have drug issues, but the truth is that there are not enough full time jobs and there is zero interest by companies in training people (except maybe a company here or there in the trades.) Those of us old enough to remember what happened to the trades when manufacturing was shipped overseas; a lot of Baby Boomers (and some Gen Xers) were crushed and never recovered economically.
And I would caution anyone regarding the military. I am a former enlisted Marine and PA Guardsman. Yes, it can be good for young men, yes, there are some transferrable skills, but I can tell you from experience that the people in HR are not favorable towards men with military service…it’s a non-starter. They won’t interview you. Why do you think so meany veterans are committing suicide? I read a report recently that said 77% of young people are not qualified for service. So why would a young person join an organization that will tank his employment prospects when he gets off of active duty? I’ve told my kids not to do it.
There is only so much a President can do, and Trump has set the bar much higher (thank goodness), but there are deep cultural problems, there are deep relationship problems between men and women, and there are very deep employment issues, especially for men.
You’re right about the older folks. And I don’t think that problem is confined to Philadelphia. The Money Guys podcast (financial advisors based in TN) caution middle aged IT workers if they get laid off to expect to be out of work for a year or more and warn them that they’ll be taking a huge pay cut when they do eventually find work. On a personal level, we know nearly a dozen men who’ve retired four and five years earlier than they’d intended. I have a close female friend (aged 61) who works for Merck and her entire department is being eliminated. She’s hoping for a good package but had been planning to work to 67.
I agree that the President can only do so much but I see the tone deafness as a huge problem. If only he’d get out there and start telling people to be patient – jobs will come back once the illegals and H1Bs start leaving the country. It would give people some hope.
“How many Magic Wands does this madman Trump have, anyway?”
— DogEater, hardest hit
Well was just at the gas station and looked at the cover of the WSJ. Headline – Big Tech has found away to scam the H-1B 100K.
I want to know why healthcare and SOCIAL services employment has one of the biggest increases in employment? Yes we needs doctors and nurses but Social services in the private sector always are supported with third party funds from our government!
got news for ya. the US federal government counterfeits over $2 trillion a year. we are all on the take in one way or another. the human ecology isn’t anywhere close to anything that could be considered natural.
Pam Bondi (who appears more everyday to be a saboteur) was in front of Congress responding to Epstein questions by talking about Muh Stock Market. This administration needs to realize the stock market is not going to get them elected. Boomers feeling secure in their 401ks is not getting Republicans elected in the mid terms. So, he can keep listening to bad advice from the back rubbers, and he’ll wind up impeached again as soon as the Dems take over. If he thinks Congress can’t tie his hands, look at how he’s stuck on Team NATO now because of them. These CEOs are absolutely KILLING great companies and brands by chasing quarterly earnings so they LOOK good to the hedge fund *expletives* who buy their stock for wealthy clients. In the mean time, they are exacerbating inflation by raising prices to cover slumping sales and cutting every corner of quality in their products. That is killing companies. The balance sheets won’t tell you that. If you have less and less and less customers, your company is losing, I don’t care how great the stock price is.
I agree with you. Pam Bondi’s answer was an out of touch embarrassment. And the stock market for the most part isn’t her purview. And to the extent that it is, she’s ignoring the fraud and circular accounting with Nvidia and Coreweave.
I totally disagree. The stock market is setting records, inflation is lower, interest rates are lower, gas prices are lower, crime is lower, the national debts is actually easing, jobs are really good and unemployment is lower.
You and I can agree Pam Bondi is probably never going to get after the corruptors, but there IS CERTAINLY GOOD THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. And there is obviously another reason to do that. The corruptors in Congress are obviously trying everything they can to make the conversation about Epstein, and Nazi ICE. And yet, in spite of that, the economy is doing splendidly.
It’s money stupid (to paraphase the infamous carville). !!!
people more than anything else vote when the economy favors their personal lives, makes it easier to make a buck, to save a buck.
and that is happening right now.
what inflation are you going on about? That was yesterday, the autopen era. This is a new era of prosperity, and the numbers are showing regardless that the media meatheads are arm waving falsely that tarrifs are creating price and costs increases. they have not. It’s clear as a bell, this is just not so. You might want to shop around and do some fact finding. I have. As many things I would want to complain about, it is most certainly not the economy. It’s doing fantastic.
And it’s probably going to continue to do fantastic.
you don’t think the millions of americans who have investments, 401, ira, roth, etf, and direct stock are not tickled pink their portfolios are doing well. ?
I am tickled pink …and yes, President Trump managed to set in motion the conditions and the sentiment that made that happen. And it will continue to happen because the truth is…there was a reason why the US economy was lagging in the past. it’s because we did not have a money manager in the White House. What we had were truly stupid and shamefully ignoramus who could run a lemonade stand in the hottest days of July into a profit.
that’s the truth. So much of what we are seeing is simply President Trump doing the fundamental things. Trade deficit management. Policies of deregulation that put the US on equal or better footing to our competitors. An end to wasteful fuding/money laundering to foreign entities and non for profits that are basic fraud schemes. Spending on law enforcement that does not only make our nation safer, but secure financially. What most people just simply ignore (because the main stream maniacs refuse to report it) is that “slippage” is way way down. People understand now that if they will get caught stealing and yes there will be a price to pay. And that is literally billions of dollars that are no longer going to drive up your prices!!!
I know this moment can be confusing and frustrating. But to suggest that we should not talk about the facts of the great economy is preposterous. We are doing great. And lets not forget…what is happening helps every single American, black, white, purple, yellow, Christian or not, poor or rich, and especially the middle class, wherre the bulk of MAGA support exists….and should be recognized and represented and treated well for its magnificent determination inspite of everything the corruptors have attempted to assault us with. We held the line and put our champion back into office. The dividends of that collective decision is paying off.
winning…you might want to try at least acknowledge we are winning.
God Bless America
Yep, absolutely. GDP and the DOW Jones Industrials are not the real economy to most voters.
Don’t hold your breath as they just revised downward the jobs numbers for 2025 by over a million jobs!