I have been asked several times today about our reaction – from a Business Acumen Perspective – to the surprising jobs report that came out this morning so I figured I would write a quick blog for your weekend reading.

If you didn’t see it, the United States economy added more than 216,000 jobs in December 2023, which is a very strong showing that exceeded many forecasts and emphasized that the labor market remains smoking white hot.

If you are following these job reports, this is not the first time everyone has been surprised. It feels like for the past 6 months at least every client we work with – from pharmaceuticals to industrial chemicals – has been gearing up for a recession that is never going to come. Unless there is a recession driven by a self-fulfilling prophecy of cuts and more cuts, which quite honestly is going to put those companies at an extreme disadvantage, we have nothing to worry about and as a matter of opinion, better prompt decision-makers to make more investments in people and the business.