January jobs report significantly beats expectations despite surge in Omicron cases

(Image credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

published 4 February 2022

Some experts were bracing for a disappointing January jobs report — but it ended up significantly beating expectations.

The Labor Department said Friday the U.S. economy added 467,000 jobs in January as the unemployment rate increased slightly to 4.0 percent.

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In fact, Axios wrote ahead of the report's release that a "negative number would hardly be shocking," and the White House was reportedly bracing for a disappointing report. "The peak of Omicron cases coincided with when the payroll data was being collected," Biden Council of Economic Advisers member Jared Bernstein previously warned CNN, while Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao wrote in a preview, "The job market is likely to slow dramatically as the impacts of Omicron are fully felt."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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