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

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What’s Actually Happening in the U.S. Jobs Market? is an episode from WSJ Your Money Briefing by The Wall Street Journal.

This episode is 16:23 long.

This episode was published on Feb 18, 2026.

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