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Kevin Dietsch \/ Getty Images <\/p>\n Kevin Dietsch \/ Getty Images <\/p>\n
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.<\/p>\n
The latest jobs report showed U.S. hiring was stronger than expected \u2014 but according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the real story goes beyond the headline numbers.<\/p>\n
In January, total nonfarm payrolls rose by 130,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1), easily beating economists\u2019 expectations of 65,000 job gains (2). The unemployment rate also edged down to 4.3%, below forecasts of 4.4%.<\/p>\n
Bessent argues the most important takeaway isn\u2019t just how many jobs were created \u2014 it\u2019s where they came from.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were more than 170,000 private sector jobs, and there was about a 40,000 decrease in government jobs,\u201d he told Fox News. \u201cSo as I’ve been saying since this administration came into office, we are reprivatizing the economy (3).\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The report noted that federal employment has fallen by 327,000 \u2014 or 10.9% of its workforce \u2014 since October 2024.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the broader shift, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, \u201cfederal employment has declined to its lowest level since 1966 \u2014 and the lowest level in recorded history as a share of the total workforce (4).\u201d<\/p>\n
In this era of so-called \u201creprivatization,\u201d Bessent is optimistic about the economic outlook, pointing to \u201cvery large foreign direct investment\u201d that has yet to fully show up in official data.<\/p>\n
He argued that the timeline for manufacturing job growth is largely \u201ca matter of sequencing.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo first we’re going to get the construction jobs \u2026 and then over the coming months, we will see a pickup in factory jobs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u2019re committing \u2014 across multiple industries.<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
If you share this optimism, here\u2019s a look at a few simple ways to position yourself for America\u2019s growth in 2026 \u2014 and beyond.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has long been a global leader in technology and innovation \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t get a seat.<\/p>\n
Fundrise<\/a> finally disrupted that dynamic a few years ago by launching a venture capital product<\/p>\n with two goals. One: build a portfolio of the most valuable private tech companies in the world. Two: make it available to as many people as possible, with investments starting at just $10.<\/p>\n Today, Fundrise<\/a> manages billions of dollars in private market assets and their venture capital<\/p>\n product is designed specifically for investors like you who want to get in early on transformative technologies like AI.<\/p>\n Check out their venture portfolio today and start investing in minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read More: Approaching retirement with no savings? Don\u2019t panic, you’re not alone. Here are 6 easy ways you can catch up (and fast)<\/a><\/p>\n The U.S. stock market has been a powerful engine of wealth creation. President Donald Trump has pointed to that strength, recently saying that \u201cthe only thing that\u2019s really going up big? It\u2019s the stock market and your 401(k)s (8).\u201d<\/p>\n The benchmark S&P 500 returned 16% in 2025 and has gained roughly 75% over the past five years.<\/p>\n Of course, consistently picking winning stocks isn\u2019t easy. That\u2019s why legendary investor Warren Buffett argues that most people don\u2019t need to pick individual companies at all to benefit from the stock market\u2019s long-term growth.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,\u201d Buffett has famously stated (9). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America\u2019s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.<\/p>\n The beauty of this approach is its accessibility \u2014 anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns<\/a>, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.<\/p>\n Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: Link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference \u2014 your spare change \u2014 into a diversified portfolio. With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 \u2014 and, if you sign up today with a recurring deposit, Acorns will add a $20 bonus<\/a> to help you begin your investment journey.<\/p>\n Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America.<\/p>\n 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 \u201c1% of all the apartment houses in the country\u201d for $25 billion, he would \u201cwrite you a check (10).\u201d<\/p>\n Why? Because regardless of what\u2019s happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Of course, you don\u2019t need $25 billion \u2014 or even to buy a single property outright \u2014 to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like mogul<\/a> offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.<\/p>\n Mogul is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties<\/a>, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits \u2014 without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.<\/p>\n Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide<\/a> for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.<\/p>\n You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another option is Lightstone DIRECT<\/a>, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate \u2014 with a minimum investment of $100,000.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles \u2014 including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.<\/p>\n With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to that proprietary deal flow<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal<\/a> \u2014 roughly four times the industry average. With skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, everyone\u2019s financial situation is different \u2014 from income levels and investment goals to debt obligations and risk tolerance \u2014 which means the best move for someone else might not be the best move for you.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re unsure where to start, it might be the right time to get in touch with a financial advisor<\/a> through Advisor.com.<\/p>\n Advisor.com<\/a> 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\u2019re looking to grow wealth, diversify beyond stocks or plan for long-term financial security.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re matched with an advisor, you can book a free consultation<\/a> with no obligation to hire.<\/p>\n We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (1<\/a>); MSN (2<\/a>); Fox News (3<\/a>); @PressSec (4<\/a>); Toyota (5<\/a>); Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (6<\/a>); Hyundai (7<\/a>): @ntdtv (8<\/a>); CNBC (9<\/a>), (10<\/a>)<\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kevin Dietsch \/ Getty Images Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466478,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[5999,28,155,101,33317,1168,40601,167356,1170,4666,38579,724],"class_list":["post-466477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-bureau-of-labor-statistics","tag-business","tag-dave-ramsey","tag-economy","tag-foreign-direct-investment","tag-jeff-bezos","tag-nonfarm-payrolls","tag-private-sector-jobs","tag-real-estate","tag-scott-bessent","tag-taiwan-semiconductor-manufacturing-company","tag-warren-buffett"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}