President Trump posted a social-media graphic Thursday night showing confidential December jobs data that were supposed to remain private until the Labor Department's official release Friday morning. The official report showed the unemployment rate at 4.4% and modest payroll gains, which helped lift stocks and slightly lower bond yields. Advance copies are tightly controlled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and a former commissioner warned early disclosures can carry fines or even jail time, though past breaches usually drew minor penalties.
Trump Posts Confidential December Jobs Graphic Before Official Release, Downplays Leak
President Donald Trump laughs during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday night posted a graphic on social media showing December jobs figures that were not scheduled for public release until the Labor Department's official employment report on Friday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
What Happened
The graphic was drawn from an advance summary prepared for the president using a pre-release copy of the monthly jobs report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which compiles the data, keeps advance copies tightly controlled; White House economic officials receive an early copy on Thursday and sign confidentiality agreements.
The Numbers And Market Reaction
Friday's official report showed the unemployment rate dipped to 4.4% and payrolls registered a modest net gain, news that helped lift stock prices and nudged bond yields lower. The graphic Trump posted indicated private businesses had added 654,000 positions since January while federal, state and local governments cut 181,000 jobs.
Those figures included December hiring and revisions to prior months that were not meant to be disclosed until the formal release.
"I don’t know if they posted them," Trump told reporters Friday. "They gave me some numbers. When people give me things, I post them."
Erica Groshen, a former BLS commissioner, said unauthorized early disclosures can, in theory, lead to fines and even jail time, although past breaches have generally resulted in only minor penalties.
Trump called the figures "amazing," even though overall job gains for the year referenced were just 584,000 — the smallest annual increase outside a recession since 2003. In 2024, slightly more than 2 million jobs were added.
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