Faster growth at the beginning of this year reflects hyperscalers' massive investments in AI.

The highest monthly increase in nearly 4 years can largely be attributed to soaring gas prices resulting from the war in Iran.

Even before the Iran war, job openings fell to just 0.9 per unemployed worker, from a high of 2-to-1 in 2022.

Wall Street firms predict inflation closer to 3% than 2%, a rising unemployment rate, and a 30% chance of an economic downturn.

The year-over-year CPI was 2.5%, the lowest in nearly five years.

After minuscule job growth last year, companies hired more workers last month than in any month since July.

The PPI increased 0.5%, the most since September, after a revised 0.4% increase in December.

Over all of 2025, the economy expanded by 2.2 percent.