US Economic Growth Surges Amidst Stagnant Job Market

"...The US economy continues to surprise on the upside — except when it comes to jobs...."

"...However, this year, the trend has been the opposite...."

"...It's shaping up to be the story of 2026...."

"...Money is flowing in and out of the economy at a healthy clip, but it's not going toward creating a new job for you...."

"...In some cases, their profits have skyrocketed, and "do more with less" has been the mantra of the year...."

"...Economists are still grappling with how the US ended up in this rare scenario...."

"...Business Insider has heard from dozens of white-collar job seekers who said that finding a new role has felt "impossible," and those with jobs have, in many cases, held onto them for dear life...."

"...This suggests that, despite strong spending by affluent households, much of this rise in consumer spending wasn't necessarily powered by confidence...."

"...In fact, consumer sentiment levels are among the lowest they have ever been, and many Americans have been cautious about spending because of tariff uncertainty...."

"...The tough job market isn't helping...."

"...Dozens of job seekers across generations told Business Insider this year that they were frustrated about suspected ageism, cumbersome hiring processes, competition with hundreds of others for a single role, and the suspected role of AI in screening out their applications...."

"...Some told reporters they've applied for thousands of roles with no interviews, while others said it took well over a year to get a single offer, often at a lower pay than their previous job...."

"...2026 could be the year we see AI payoff — which may fuel an even bigger jobless boom..."

"...If that does come, the jobless boom may only grow...."

"...Companies want to use AI to boost productivity without hiring more people, which would only exacerbate a sluggish job market...."

"...Although it's difficult to determine if this year's investments in AI have yielded results, the GDP's spike to 4.3% in the third quarter is an encouraging sign overall...."

"...Still, many Americans may worry about what this means for their jobs...."

"...Some companies have cited the need to be efficient in an AI-driven future as justification for layoffs...."

"...The US already operates with fewer jobs than it had pre-COVID, and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has recently said that the grim jobs data may be overstating this year's deflated gains...."