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The latest jobs report showed U.S. hiring was stronger than expected — but according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the real story goes beyond the headline numbers.
In January, total nonfarm payrolls rose by 130,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1), easily beating economists’ expectations of 65,000 job gains (2). The unemployment rate also edged down to 4.3%, below forecasts of 4.4%.
Bessent argues the most important takeaway isn’t just how many jobs were created — it’s where they came from.
“There were more than 170,000 private sector jobs, and there was about a 40,000 decrease in government jobs,” he told Fox News. “So as I’ve been saying since this administration came into office, we are reprivatizing the economy (3).”
The BLS data backs that up. Private payrolls grew by 172,000 jobs in January, while government employment declined by 42,000. In particular, the federal government slashed 34,000 jobs, state governments cut another 18,000, while local governments added 10,000 for the month.
The report noted that federal employment has fallen by 327,000 — or 10.9% of its workforce — since October 2024.
Highlighting the broader shift, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “federal employment has declined to its lowest level since 1966 — and the lowest level in recorded history as a share of the total workforce (4).”
In this era of so-called “reprivatization,” Bessent is optimistic about the economic outlook, pointing to “very large foreign direct investment” that has yet to fully show up in official data.
He argued that the timeline for manufacturing job growth is largely “a matter of sequencing.” Bessent said that unlike financial markets, where transactions happen instantly, corporate investment takes time. He added that when companies reshore production or foreign firms build new factories in the U.S., there are planning and permitting stages before ground is broken.
“So first we’re going to get the construction jobs … and then over the coming months, we will see a pickup in factory jobs,” he said.
Major companies indeed continue to view the U.S. as one of the most dependable places to build and grow. That confidence is showing up in the scale of capital they’re committing — across multiple industries.
For instance, Toyota recently announced plans to invest up to $10 billion in its U.S. operations over the next five years (5). Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has unveiled a $100 billion investment to expand U.S.-based chip manufacturing (6). Hyundai, meanwhile, is increasing its investment in the U.S. to $26 billion through 2028 to boost steel, automotive and robotics production (7).
If you share this optimism, here’s a look at a few simple ways to position yourself for America’s growth in 2026 — and beyond.
The U.S. has long been a global leader in technology and innovation — a reality reflected in the powerful rally in tech stocks in recent years. But public markets show just one side of how wealth is created.
Many of the biggest and most successful tech companies remain privately held for years, growing behind the scenes and building incredible value long before the IPO bell is rung.
Venture capital is where the early bets on future giants are placed. But, for decades, venture capital has been one of the few remaining tables in finance where retail investors can’t get a seat.
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Read More: Approaching retirement with no savings? Don’t panic, you’re not alone. Here are 6 easy ways you can catch up (and fast)
The U.S. stock market has been a powerful engine of wealth creation. President Donald Trump has pointed to that strength, recently saying that “the only thing that’s really going up big? It’s the stock market and your 401(k)s (8).”
The benchmark S&P 500 returned 16% in 2025 and has gained roughly 75% over the past five years.
Of course, consistently picking winning stocks isn’t easy. That’s why legendary investor Warren Buffett argues that most people don’t need to pick individual companies at all to benefit from the stock market’s long-term growth.
“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett has famously stated (9). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.
The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.
Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: Link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio. With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring deposit, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.
Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America.
In fact, Buffett often points to real estate when explaining what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check (10).”
Why? Because regardless of what’s happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.
Real estate also offers a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.
Of course, you don’t need $25 billion — or even to buy a single property outright — to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like mogul offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.
Mogul is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.
Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.
Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.
You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties here.
Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.
Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.
Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.
With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to that proprietary deal flow.
Here’s the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal — roughly four times the industry average. With skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.
At the end of the day, everyone’s financial situation is different — from income levels and investment goals to debt obligations and risk tolerance — which means the best move for someone else might not be the best move for you.
If you’re unsure where to start, it might be the right time to get in touch with a financial advisor through Advisor.com.
Advisor.com is an online platform that matches you with vetted financial advisors suited to your unique needs. They can help tailor a strategy to your particular financial situation, whether you’re looking to grow wealth, diversify beyond stocks or plan for long-term financial security.
Once you’re matched with an advisor, you can book a free consultation with no obligation to hire.
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (1); MSN (2); Fox News (3); @PressSec (4); Toyota (5); Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (6); Hyundai (7): @ntdtv (8); CNBC (9), (10)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.