Key Events Around the Globe: Feb 06

Us Farm Income Set to Fall in 2026 Despite Surge in Government Payments

In a sign of growing stress for U.S. farmers, the Agriculture Department forecast on Thursday that U.S. net farm income would fall 0.7% this year, despite near-record government payments that are expected to account for nearly 29% of producers’ bottom line.

Net farm income, a broad measure of profitability in the agricultural economy, is forecast to drop 0.7% to $153.4 billion in 2026 from the year before, USDA said. When adjusted for inflation, net farm income is projected to decrease by $4.1 billion or 2.6%.

Us Job Openings Drop to More than Five Year Low in December

U.S. job openings dropped to the lowest level in more than five years in December and data for the prior month was revised lower amid a softening in labor market conditions at the end of 2025.

Job openings, a measure of labor demand, decreased by 386,000 to 6.542 million by the last day of December, the lowest level since September 2020, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, on Thursday.

U.S. Jobless Claims Rise More Than Expected To Nearly Two-Month High

A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rose by much more than expected in the week ended January 31st. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims climbed to 231,000, an increase of 22,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 209,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to inch up to 212,000.

Us Natural Gas Storage Declines, but Less than Forecasted, Signals Weaker Demand

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released its latest Natural Gas Storage report, indicating a decline in the number of cubic feet of natural gas held in underground storage over the past week. The report, which has a significant impact on Canada’s energy sector due to the country’s sizable energy industry, revealed a decrease of 360 billion cubic feet. This decline, while substantial, is less than the forecasted drop of 379 billion cubic feet. The smaller than expected decrease suggests weaker demandfor natural gas.

Japan Household Spending Slumps 2.9% In December

The average of household spending in Japan was down 2.9 percent on month in December, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Friday- coming in at 351,522 yen. That missed forecasts for a fall of 1.3 percent following the 6.2 percent jump in November. On an annual basis, household spending slipped 2.6 percent- again shy of expectations for a dip of 0.5 percent following the 2.9 percent increase in the previous month

Source: HSL Prime Daily, 06 Feb 2026