Stronger-than-expected job growth starting in 2026 has eased some concerns about the state of the U.S. labor market.

non-farm employment data The number of workers added 130,000 in January, according to seasonally adjusted data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, above the Dow Jones average estimate of 55,000. The total also improved from December, rising by 48,000 after a slight downward revision.

The unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%, unchanged from last month’s forecast of 4.4%.

The report, delayed by nearly a week due to the partial government shutdown that ended on February 3, is consistent with the labor market being in low-growth mode, although there were only sporadic signs of increasing layoffs.

In addition to the monthly data, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released final benchmark revisions for the year through March 2025. According to the data, the initial count fell by a total of 898,000 people on a seasonally adjusted basis. That was slightly below last September’s preliminary estimate of 911,000, but close to Wall Street expectations.

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