What’s Actually Happening in the U.S. Jobs Market? episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 18, 2026 · 14 MIN

What’s Actually Happening in the U.S. Jobs Market?

from WSJ Your Money Briefing · host The Wall Street Journal

This week, we feature an episode of What’s News Sunday exploring the deepening contradictions in the U.S. labor market. While corporate downsizing and AI integration drove January layoffs to their highest levels since 2009, official reports still show job gains. Host Luke Vargas examines why recent data revisions are leading workers and employers alike to question the reliability of hiring figures. Plus, WSJ reporters Justin Lahart and Lindsay Ellis break down listener questions on the reality of the current hiring climate. Further Reading What Sweeping Revisions and a Blowout Month Tell Us About the U.S. Job Market Job Growth Last Year Was Far Worse Than We Thought. Here’s Why. This Is Why It’s So Hard to Find a Job Right Now America’s Job Market Has Entered the Slow Lane Job Hunters Are So Desperate That They’re Paying to Get Recruited CEOs Say AI Is Making Work More Efficient. Employees Tell a Different Story. Five Older Job Seekers Tell Us How They Broke Through a Bruising Job Market Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 18, 2026

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