The Goldilocks economy, if you don't look too close
Saturday, February 14, 2026
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The US job market appears strong on the surface, with employers adding 130,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate edging down to 4.3%, but revisions show job creation has flatlined over the last year, with only 15,000 jobs added per month on average, according to the Labor Department.
Despite low overall inflation of 2.4% over the last 12 months, certain sectors are experiencing significant price hikes, including home electricity prices up 6.3%, natural gas service up 9.8%, ground beef prices up 17.2%, and coffee up 18.3%, crimping family budgets, as reported by the January Consumer Price Index.
The financial markets are also showing signs of instability, with the S&P 500 down 1.4% this week and investors experiencing "freak-outs" over the potential impact of AI on industries like software and trucking, leading to volatile swings in individual stocks, according to Axios.
