Personnel

• Trump revealed some of Friday's jobs data early in post the prior day - The president indicated that private sector payrolls had expanded by 654,000, a total that would have included Friday's jobs count for December.
• Economist Mark Zandi sees the Fed surprising with three rate cuts in first half of 2026 - Markets and Fed officials themselves see only modest easing in the year ahead.
• Champagne sales surge at New Year — but labor abuses and tariffs have clouded the industry - Reports of human trafficking and the mistreatment of workers, and even several deaths during the 2023 harvest, provoked scandal around the Champagne industry.
• AI was behind over 50,000 layoffs in 2025 — here are the top firms to cite it for job cuts - Some of the world's biggest tech companies cited AI as part of their layoff and restructuring strategy in 2025.
• Waller had a 'strong interview' for Fed chair with Trump as president appears to turn focus to job market - The positive description of the Waller interview by officials was not necessarily an indication that he was a favorite candidate for the job.
• New York AG sues UPS for allegedly shorting Christmas season workers' wages - "UPS has played the Grinch," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a new lawsuit accusing the company of shorting seasonal workers on their pay.
• Trump admin to hire 1,000 specialists for 'Tech Force' to build AI, finance projects - A slew of tech giants, including Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google Public Sector, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI, are listed as partners.
• CEO of 25 years: I ditched this toxic mindset to become a better boss—'my job was not to command and control' - Garry Ridge thought that being a commanding boss would make him successful, he said during a podcast appearance — until a professor changed his mind.
• The case for more Fed rate cuts could rest on a 'systemic overcount' of jobs numbers - There are indications that policymakers will be more inclined to cut further if the labor market stays weak.
• Hassett likely next Fed chair, but most think Trump should nominate someone else, CNBC Fed survey shows - The December survey shows 84% believe President Trump will tap Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, to head the central bank.