Market Update: 7th January 2026-Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Why One Data Point Could Ruin Everyone’s Week

After a thinly traded holiday period where conviction was as scarce as liquidity, markets return to their desks this week knowing full well what’s coming and pretending they’re relaxed about it anyway. Spoiler: they’re not.

The first proper trading week of the year has a familiar feel. Volumes are slowly creeping back, positioning remains tentative, and investors are already squinting at the calendar asking the same question they ask every month: will the jobs data behave itself this time?

As ever, the answer will decide whether risk assets stride confidently higher or trip over their own optimism.

At the centre of it all sits the U.S. labour market still the market’s favourite crystal ball, mood ring, and policy excuse rolled into one. After months of debating whether employment is “cooling”, “normalising”, or “about to fall off a cliff”, this week’s data offers another opportunity for markets to collectively overreact to a single number, then spend the following days explaining why they were right to do so.

Wednesday’s ADP and JOLTS figures will provide the usual warm-up act closely watched, loudly debated, and promptly ignored if Friday disagrees. But make no mistake, this is a payrolls week, and everything else is just noise with a Bloomberg headline.

The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, remains officially data-dependent a phrase that now roughly translates to “please don’t surprise us.” With rate expectations finely balanced and inflation refusing to fully cooperate, the jobs report doesn’t just inform policy thinking; it gives markets permission to believe whatever narrative they already preferred.

In short, this is one of those weeks where calm is suspicious, price action is tentative, and confidence evaporates the moment the numbers hit the screen. Traders know the drill. Strap in, cancel unnecessary meetings on Friday, and remember it’s never the headline number that hurts it’s the bit you weren’t watching.

Anyway, till next time all of you trade safe!

By James Trescothick
Head of Market Research and Market Analysis

Risk Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Financial markets involve risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Always conduct your own research and seek professional advice before making investment decisions.