By Paula Pant
The jobs report that dropped today sent shockwaves through the markets, the US lost 92,000 jobs in February, completely defying expectations of a 60,000 job gain. How do we make sense of data that seems to contradict itself?
In this First Friday episode, I break down the confusing signals coming from different employment reports (BLS […]
By Paula Pant
In this First Friday episode, we take a comprehensive look at the economic and market developments from January 2026. From market volatility and a surprising new Fed chair nominee to a groundbreaking “baby bonds” program and major housing policy changes, there’s a lot to unpack.
I start […]
By Paula Pant
Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2026 with a reality check on where your money stands right now.
The Good News: Gas prices dropped below $3/gallon. Inflation cooled to 2.7%. The Fed cut rates again. GDP grew 4.3% (surprisingly strong). Gold hit $4,500 an ounce. And 19 states raised minimum wages.
The Not-So-Good: Health […]
By Paula Pant
An unusual First Friday episode because we don’t have a jobs report.
However, we do know that in October, U.S. companies announced more job cuts in a single month than they have over any single month of the last 20 years. In other words, October was peak job cut month.
By contrast, private payrolls, as […]
