The economy added 130,000 jobs in January — far more than economists had anticipated — while the unemployment rate remained flat at 4.3%, Labor Department data released Wednesday showed.

That's despite private data released last week that indicated the labor market remained bruising in January for out-of-work Americans, with little in the way of new jobs. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had estimated a median gain of about 68,000 jobs in January’s official report, though their projections varied widely: The highest saw 135,000 more jobs, while the lowest saw a loss of 10,000 roles.

Do you have a story about navigating the job market? Reach out to Emma Ockerman here.

The government’s monthly employment situation report, which includes both the unemployment rate and payroll growth, was meant to be published last Friday before it was delayed by the brief partial government shutdown. That left market-watchers and economists waiting a few extra days for what Bank of America Global Research dubbed the “Super Bowl of jobs reports” and economist Michael Madowitz of the Roosevelt Institute called #ConspiracyTheoryJobsday, since January's report also includes standard revisions to the Labor Department’s 2025 data.

Emma Ockerman is a reporter covering the economy and labor for Yahoo Finance. You can reach her at emma.ockerman@yahooinc.com.

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