Stocks shrug off mixed US jobs data to advanceNEW YORK, Jan 10, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Stock markets advanced Friday despite mixed US jobs data, while the Supreme Court held off from a widely-anticipated ruling on many of President Donald Trump's global tariffs for now. Data released early Friday showed that the US economy added 50,000 jobs last month, below market expectations, capping off a year of labor market weakness that prompted the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. "The key takeaway is that the low unemployment rate will temper concerns that consumer spending and the economy will slow rapidly due to a weak labor market," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare. Expectations that the Fed will be gradually cutting rates in 2026 were reinforced by the mixed jobs numbers, said Angelo Kourkafas of Edward Jones. Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, added that the weakening labor market and strong GDP growth also signal that US productivity is surging.
