Unhedged Is AI creating jobs?
74 snips
Feb 12, 2026 They dig into a surprising jobs report and why hiring may be driven by AI data centre construction and related capex. Healthcare and construction trends get close attention. They contrast strong payrolls with weak retail sales and flag which consumers feel squeezed. They debate how AI, productivity and labour trends could shape interest rate policy and trade volatility versus sugar.
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Jobs Headline Masks Underlying Weakness
- The US added 130,000 jobs in January, but revisions show 2025 was weaker than thought and the good months were softer.
- Much of January's gain was concentrated in healthcare and social assistance, masking weak cyclical private-sector hiring.
Healthcare Dominated January Hiring
- Of the 130,000 net jobs added in January, 123,000 were in health care and social assistance, concentrating gains in non-cyclical sectors.
- That matters because economists want cyclical sectors to lead job growth for a durable expansion.
Lancaster Example Of AI-Led Local Boom
- Katie cites Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where CoreWeave plans a $6bn AI data centre that could transform local demand for construction and housing.
- She argues announced capex last year may only now be breaking ground, producing visible job gains.