Strong Hiring Hits Fed Cut Bets, Japan Stocks Rise

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

US payrolls rose in January by the most in more than a year and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, suggesting the labor market continued to stabilize at the start of 2026. Employers added 130,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate declined to 4.3%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The January data reinforces Federal Reserve officials' inclination to keep interest rates on hold for now, with many traders pushing out their timeline for the next rate cut to July from June. To break down the latest jobs report, we turn to Jeffrey Roach, Chief Economist for LPL Financial.

Plus - Japanese stocks gained when trading reopened after a public holiday. For more on the markets, we speak to Charu Chanana, Chief Investment Strategist at Saxo Bank.

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