US Hiring Jumps Sharply in Early 2026, Unemployment Falls to 4.3%

• US added 130,000 jobs in January 2026, a significant rise from 50,000 in December, surprising economists.
• Unemployment rate decreased to 4.3% in January from 4.4% in December, remaining historically low.
• This strong performance follows a difficult 2025, where hiring slowed sharply, prompting Federal Reserve rate cuts.
• President Donald Trump praised the data, while major companies like Amazon, UPS, and Pinterest announced layoffs concentrated in tech and logistics.
• Federal Reserve paused rate cuts in January, citing sticky inflation, with the benchmark interest rate between 3.5% and 3.75%.