Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
More Thoughts on the Jobs Report
January’s jobs numbers beat expectations, but deeper analysis suggests caution.
Publications
Article • Data Bytes
Precarious Work, Precarious Care: Income Instability and Interruptions in Health Care Access
Research shows that workers experiencing income volatility are more likely to have interruptions in their access to health care.
Article • Data Bytes
Unemployment Falls to 4.3 Percent, as Economy Adds 130,000 Jobs in January
Job growth for the month of January was well above most forecasts, though the annual benchmark revision lowered reported jobs for all of last year by more than 240,000.
Article • Data Bytes
January 2026 CPI Preview: What to Expect
The January numbers are likely to be very similar to the December data, which would put the year-over-year inflation rate at 2.7 percent — not especially concerning, but still above the Fed’s 2.0 percent target.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
Jobs Day Eve
Manufacturing employment is falling, wage growth is weakening, and several labor market indicators point to growing economic strain.
Article • Expose the Heist: Power and Policy in Unprecedented Times
Will Trump Rx Help Patients?
Trump’s long-awaited drug discount program is an exercise in personal branding that doesn’t translate into meaningful savings.
Article • Expose the Heist: Power and Policy in Unprecedented Times
Trump Accounts Will Increase Wealth Inequality
Trump Accounts — boosted in a recent Super Bowl commercial — will widen income inequality.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
The Dollar is a Reserve Currency, not the Reserve Currency
The dollar’s potential decline is not a crisis, as multiple currencies serve as reserves, and its value is primarily influenced by investor confidence rather than its role in global trade.
Article • Data Bytes
January 2026 Jobs Preview: What to Expect
The January 2026 jobs report will likely confirm a gradually weakening labor market, with modest job growth, steady unemployment, and benchmark revisions that erase much of 2025’s gains.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
Trump Rx: It Doesn’t Help Patients, but Gets Trump’s Name on Something (see correction)
Trump Rx is a branding exercise that leaves patients paying more for drugs while delivering no real savings.