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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Paul Wiseman

The economy is booming. So why is the job market lagging?

Hiring, Employment, Job Opportunity - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The U.S. economy is on a tear. So why is the American job market limping behind?

The Labor Department is expected to report Wednesday that companies, government agencies and nonprofits added 75,000 jobs last month, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet. That would be an improvement over December’s 50,000 – but it’s inconsistent with strong economic growth and well short of the hiring boom of just a couple of years ago.

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