Well, that was a quick turnaround. The US added 130,000 jobs last month and posted a 4.3% unemployment rate, a massive rebound from the historically weak job growth seen in 2025.

Last month delivered the strongest job growth since December 2024, with the healthcare and social assistance sector shouldering most of the load:

While those industries also dominated much of the labor market through 2025, they actually got some well-deserved help to start this year. According to the highly anticipated Bureau of Labor Statistics report:

Hitting a U-turn: The promising report (which was delayed by last month’s brief government shutdown) arrived after January saw the highest number of layoffs since 2009, a shocking reversal that caught even the most seasoned economists off guard.

🌎 Why should you care? The stronger-than-expected job growth and a steady unemployment rate show the economy is still resilient, even in the face of record layoffs. However, it also means companies are hiring more cautiously, so there are fewer openings and higher expectations for skills, experience, and flexibility when switching roles than there would be otherwise.

Russia has pledged to help the nation. On Tuesday, Cuba’s government cut off jet fuel to nine airports as a severe fuel shortage grips the country, putting pressure on its travel industry.

Cuba’s fuel shortage has existed for years and is the culmination of several overlapping issues, including declining oil imports from allies, limited foreign currency, aging infrastructure, and its lack of production. See an overview of the country’s worsening energy crisis here.

Then, this week, Cuban officials warned airlines they could no longer reliably refuel planes at airports:

It comes amid US pressure: Last month, Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, as part of US efforts to end communist rule on the island.

Looking forward: Cuba is now projected to exhaust its reserves by April and has begun rationing supplies. Russia recently began preparing to send oil to the country, and when asked about sanctions, an official said it does not “want any escalation” with the US, but that it doesn’t “have much trade with the United States right now.”

🌎 Why is this important? Tensions between the US, Russia, and Cuba could tighten global energy supply, which may show up for Americans as higher gas prices, more expensive flights, and swings in energy bills.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to cling to a 3% interest rate? Homeowners are staying in their houses for the longest time since the start of the millennium, largely because they want to hold onto lower mortgage rates.

At the end of 2025, US homeowners had been in their dwellings for an average of 8.6 years, the longest time on record since they began tracking the stat in 2000 (when the average was just 4.2 years).

While this was once confined to a few cities, it isn’t anymore:

So, why aren’t people selling? Many of those who are staying put want to hold on to ultra-low mortgage rates they secured during 2020–2021 (known as the “lock-in effect”), and with rising home prices and limited inventory, it’s simply not a buyer’s market.

I mean it’s really not a buyer’s market: For the first time since 2020, more homeowners now have mortgage rates above 6% than below 3%, according to Realtor.com, while a Redfin analysis cited by the WSJ found roughly 62% of buyers last year paid under the asking price, the most since 2019.

🌎 Why is this important? The “lock-in effect” limits the number of houses for sale and keeps prices high, making it harder (and more expensive) for anyone to move or buy a home, particularly first-time buyers.

61% of marketers say this is the biggest marketing shift in decades.

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Now Big Tech is even fighting over your front door? Privacy concerns over internet-connected doorbell cameras have erupted after a kidnapping case and a questionable Super Bowl ad put the tech in the spotlight.

This month, the FBI has been investigating a high-profile case involving the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “TODAY” show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

That has raised some questions about how the video was obtained: FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities teamed up with private-sector partners to pull footage from backend systems, while the Associated Press noted some Nest devices can record even when offline.

Earlier in the week, Ring promoted an AI feature in a Super Bowl ad that can sift through neighborhood cameras to find a missing dog, drawing backlash from viewers who saw surveillance risks.

These devices are extremely popular: Roughly 37% of US households (almost 130 million people) now have a smart video doorbell, making it one of the fastest-growing home security technologies.

🌎 Why does this matter? As doorbell cameras like Google Nest and Amazon Ring get smarter with AI features, like identifying faces or scanning neighborhood footage, decisions by tech companies could increasingly affect how your data is used, especially as they become more widely adopted.

The shelves might now be stocked with Wagyu beef. Discount retailer Dollar Tree is increasingly opening stores in higher-income areas, a strong pivot from its traditional focus on lower-income communities.

Dollar Tree has seen rising engagement from wealthier households recently, with six-figure earners accounting for the majority of its new customers:

While wealthier shoppers tend to visit less often… they typically spend more per trip. On average, they spend about $1 more per visit, an increase that would add up to roughly $1 billion in annual revenue if the company persuaded them to shop there just one more time each year.

It highlights a new trend in US retail: Even discount chains are targeting a wider income range as spending becomes more concentrated among higher-earning households.

🌎 Why should you care? The clientele change signals ongoing pressure from inflation and living costs, something that affects budgeting, grocery habits, and spending decisions for people across income levels, especially younger adults trying to save.

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> A heavyweight boxer lost his hairpiece during a fight at Madison Square Garden, then joked afterward that his mother’s shampoo mishap had recently caused his hair loss.