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
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
Welcome to the last First Friday episode of the year. Today, we’ll dive into an unprecedented moment in the U.S. economy: a missing jobs report, a divided Federal Reserve, a sluggish labor market, and a holiday shopping season shaped by AI, bargain hunters, and low consumer confidence.
In this episode, we […]
