Strong US Jobs Growth Drives Stocks and Dollar Higher as Rate Cut Hopes Fade
US stock futures and the dollar jumped on Wednesday after January payrolls exceeded expectations. The data suggests the Federal Reserve may delay rate cuts.
Insights:
The U.S. Labor Department announced today, February 11, 2026, that January nonfarm payrolls in the United States 
US increased by 130,000, a figure that significantly exceeded consensus forecasts of 70,000. This announced data also revealed that the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%. The payrolls print materially exceeded forecasts at a time when labour-market data are central to Federal Reserve decisions, immediately affecting global markets and bearing on near-term expectations for interest-rate cuts.
US increased by 130,000, a figure that significantly exceeded consensus forecasts of 70,000. This announced data also revealed that the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%. The payrolls print materially exceeded forecasts at a time when labour-market data are central to Federal Reserve decisions, immediately affecting global markets and bearing on near-term expectations for interest-rate cuts.
