Data suggests 'hiring recession' may be behind us — but the Iran war poses job market risks

A 'now hiring' sign is displayed in a business's window in Manhattan on Jan. 9, 2026, in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Federal labor market data issued Tuesday suggests the frozen U.S. job market may be starting to thaw — but the economic fallout from the Iran war threatens to stall that momentum , according to labor economists. "Is the hiring recession finally over? There are encouraging signs," Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote in an e-mail. …