Private-sector earnings: weekly pay +0.7% in January 2026; second-term gains of 4.3% weekly and 3.7% hourly reported

The White House reported that January’s jobs report showed stronger-than-expected private-sector gains and wage growth, with 172,000 private jobs added, 42,000 government jobs lost, and the unemployment rate falling to 4.3%. The administration highlighted construction gains—especially 25,000 nonresidential specialty trade jobs—and said January’s 130,000 new nonfarm jobs was the best month so far. The White House also cited revisions that, it says, overstated job growth during the last two years of the previous administration by about 1.9 million jobs. Officials attributed the improvements to President Trump’s economic agenda and investments in manufacturing and data centers.