On January 9, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a chart on his social media platform, Truth Social, showing job-market data that had not yet been officially released. The data included:

• 654,000 private-sector jobs added since January 2025
• 181,000 fewer government jobs

The figures were later published in the December jobs report by the U.S. Labor Department. The White House described the post as an “inadvertent” disclosure and said it is reviewing protocols for economic data releases.

Background and Context

Presidents are routinely given an advance briefing on economic data, including the monthly jobs report, as permitted by law. Kevin Hassett, head of the White House National Economic Council, was among the officials with early access. The president typically receives the report a day before public release.

A mid-1980s rule from the Office of Management and Budget forbids executive branch employees from publicly discussing embargoed economic data within an hour of its release. The White House stressed that the disclosure occurred outside of this standard procedure.

Trump defended himself, stating that he told someone to “post them whenever you get a chance,” indicating he was not directly responsible for the early public posting.

Market Reaction

The post had little immediate impact on markets. S&P 500 e-mini futures dipped slightly in the overnight trading session following the post, but trading volumes were very low. Analysts noted that it would have been difficult to interpret the precise December private-sector job gains from Trump’s cumulative figures, which included revisions to the previous two months.

Historical Context

Trump has previously hinted at jobs data ahead of official releases. For instance, in June 2018, he tweeted a cryptic message before the May jobs report, which traders interpreted as a signal of stronger-than-expected employment gains.

The recent post fits into a broader pattern: job growth in recent years has largely come from the private sector, while federal government employment has declined. Since Trump’s return to office, federal jobs have fallen by 277,000, though local government employment has increased.