The U.S. labor market rang in the new year the same as it ended 2025: further softening.
Absent the January jobs report, economic observers paid extra attention to a wave of new employment data this week to gauge the national labor market’s health.
Cooler Labor Market Persists Into 2026
From jobless claims to job openings, market watchers digested a plethora of data points to assess employment conditions.
A 'Now Hiring" sign at a store in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 5, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
Andrew Moran
Author
Andrew Moran has been writing about business, economics, and finance for more than a decade. He is the author of "The War on Cash."
