Economy

January Jobs Report Delayed Following Shutdown; Private Hiring Slows

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Feb 4, 2026

THE BARE STORY

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced Wednesday that the release of the key January jobs report has been postponed to February 11 due to the recent brief government shutdown. The delay pushes the report back by five days from its original schedule. The agency also indicated that the release of the Consumer Price Index and real earnings data will be delayed until February 13, while the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey has been moved to Thursday.

Ahead of the official government figures, payroll processing firm ADP released data Wednesday showing that private companies added 22,000 positions in January. This figure fell below forecasts and was lower than the downwardly revised increase of 37,000 recorded in December. According to the report, the education and health services sector added 74,000 jobs, preventing the total from turning negative, while professional and business services lost 57,000 positions. Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist, stated that hiring is softening and described the current economy as a "low-hire, low-fire environment."

Economists surveyed project that the upcoming BLS nonfarm payrolls report will show a gain of 60,000 jobs for January, following an increase of 50,000 the previous month. Projections also suggest the unemployment rate will remain steady at 4.4%. ADP noted that wage gains for employees remaining in their current roles held at 4.5%, showing little change from December.

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• Resilience in essential service sectors Despite weakness in some areas, the economy continues to add jobs in vital industries. The education and health services sector added 74,000 positions in January, a robust performance that effectively counteracted losses elsewhere and prevented total private payrolls from turning negative.

• Steady wages and low turnover Nela Richardson, the chief economist at ADP, characterized the economy as a "low-hire, low-fire environment," suggesting that while hiring has slowed, layoffs remain contained. Additionally, wage gains for employees staying in their current roles held steady at 4.5%, showing consistency from the previous month.

• Projections of continued growth and stable unemployment Looking ahead to the official government data, surveyed economists anticipate a rebound in the broader labor market. Projections for the upcoming BLS report forecast a gain of 60,000 jobs—an improvement over the prior month's 50,000 increase—while the unemployment rate is expected to remain stable at 4.4%.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• You will experience a short-term delay in accessing official government economic data, as the release of the January jobs report, Consumer Price Index, and real earnings figures has been postponed to mid-February due to the recent shutdown.

• Job seekers in the education and health services sectors may find more open positions due to robust hiring, whereas those in professional and business services could face a contracting market with fewer opportunities.

• You are likely to encounter a labor market characterized by low turnover and steady wage gains for existing employees, though securing a new job may be more difficult as private hiring slows.

• You can expect the national unemployment rate to remain steady at 4.4 percent according to economist projections, suggesting the broader labor market remains stable despite specific private sector weaknesses.

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