The U.S. economy started 2026 in a state of excellent balance: strong growth, a solid job market and subdued inflation. Just don't look too closely.
The big picture: The key headline numbers in recent days — on jobs and inflation— appear as good as they have been in some time. Still, there are also warnings in the data that the story is not quite as rosy as headline numbers might suggest.
It's the Goldilocks economy — neither too hot nor too cold, so long as you don't focus on the details.