Analysis: A Reality Check of the Jobs Report

‘At the end of the day a lot of the figures we get from places like the Bureau of Labor Statistics are much more consistent than they are accurate.’

A customer walks by a now hiring sign posted in front of a Target store in Sausalito, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

News Analysis

According to the Employment Situation report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Feb. 2, the U.S. economy exceeded expectations by adding 353,000 jobs to the workforce in January. The unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7 percent. While the report and the White House suggest that the labor market is strong, the American public remains dissatisfied with the state of the nation’s economy.