The Labor Department will release its monthly estimate of hiring and unemployment at 8:30 a.m. Friday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expect the report to show a gain of 172,000 jobs in January, down from the 312,000 added in December. But there’s even more uncertainty than usual. The Big Picture The job market ended 2018 in its best shape in years, possibly decades. That strength probably continued in early 2019 — but the partial shutdown of the federal government could make it hard to know for sure. American employers have added jobs for 99 consecutive months, easily a record, and most economists expect the ... (full story)