The Hidden Number Driving U.S. Job GrowthAfter a year of just 181,000 new jobs, January’s 131,000 increase in the U.S. workforce was surprisingly positive. Ben Casselman, The New York Times’ chief economic correspondent, explains the numbers. By Ben Casselman, Christina Thornell, Christina Shaman, June Kim and Nikolay NikolovFebruary 13, 2026
