‘Wow!’: CNBC host stunned as ‘truly incredible’ US jobs number plunges to 189,000 — the lowest level since 1960s

Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.

CNBC's Rick Santelli could hardly hide his surprise when the latest U.S. jobs data hit the wire.

"Initial jobless claims… hitting the wires at 189,000! Wow!" Santelli said on CNBC Thursday morning (1).

Top Picks

- Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how

- Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s how to fix it ASAP

- The IRS usually taxes gold as a collectible — but this little-known strategy lets you hold physical bullion tax-free. Get your free guide from Priority Gold

"That is truly incredible. We're looking at levels truly that we probably haven't seen since the late '60s. This is very, very incredible."

He wasn't exaggerating the scale of the move. According to the Department of Labor, seasonally adjusted initial claims fell to 189,000 for the week ending April 25, down 26,000 from the previous week's revised level of 215,000 (2). The four-week moving average also dipped to 207,500.

Bloomberg reported that the figure marked the lowest level since 1969 (3). Economists had expected 212,000 claims — meaning the actual number came in far below forecasts.

Initial jobless claims are closely watched because they offer a timely read on layoffs. When claims fall, it can suggest employers are holding on to workers — a sign of labor market strength.

Reuters described the labor market as remaining in a "low hire, low fire" mode, even as economists continue to watch for risks tied to inflation, oil prices and broader global uncertainty (4).

Income and spending also came in hot

Santelli also pointed to stronger-than-expected personal income and spending data.

“Let’s get into the personal income and spending numbers,” he said. “Income up six-tenths — double expectations — and that would be the best level since the summer of ’25, July to be specific.”

He added that spending was “equal to expectations,” up nine-tenths, calling the number “pretty robust.”

The Bureau of Economic Analysis said personal income increased $149.2 billion, or 0.6%, in March, while disposable personal income rose $142.5 billion, also up 0.6% (5). Personal consumption expenditures climbed $195.4 billion, or 0.9%.

Santelli framed that spending number as notable.

“How does up nine-tenths compare? Well, you’d have to go to the last quarter of ’24, when it was up 1%,” he said. “And we are a consumption economy. That is pretty good news.”

Given that consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of U.S. GDP, a strong reading on that front is an encouraging sign for the nation's economic output.

Read More: Robert Kiyosaki warned of a 'Greater Depression' — with millions of Americans going poor. Was he right?

Betting on America

Taken together, the data points to an economy that still has momentum: jobless claims have fallen to a multi-decade low, income is rising and consumers are still spending.

For investors, that kind of resilience can be a reminder that even amid inflation concerns, global uncertainty and market volatility, the U.S. economy still has powerful engines of growth — a point investing legend Warren Buffett has repeatedly emphasized.

"For 240 years it's been a terrible mistake to bet against America, and now is no time to start," Buffett wrote in his 2015 shareholder letter (6). "America's golden goose of commerce and innovation will continue to lay more and larger eggs."

He also has a clear, simple piece of advice for everyday Americans looking to capitalize on that golden goose — no stock-picking skills required.

"In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund," Buffett has famously stated (7). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America's largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.

The strategy has served investors well: the S&P 500 returned 16% in 2025 and has gained roughly 72% over the past five years.

And perhaps the biggest appeal is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.

With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

For investors interested in individual stocks, research tools like Moby can come in handy. Their team of former hedge fund analysts does the heavy lifting — breaking down the market, flagging quality stocks, and making the research easy to digest.

In fact, across nearly 400 stock picks over the past four years, Moby's recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by almost 12% on average. Their research keeps you up-to-the-minute on market shifts, and takes the guesswork out of choosing investments.

Plus, their reports are easy to understand for beginners, so you can become a smarter investor in just five minutes.

Build wealth through US real estate

Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America.

In fact, Buffett often points to real estate when explaining what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him "1% of all the apartment houses in the country" for $25 billion, he would "write you a check" (8).

Why? Because regardless of what's happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.

Real estate also offers a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.

Of course, you don't need $25 billion — or even to buy a single property outright — to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants.

The process is simple: browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you'd like to purchase and then sit back as you start receiving any positive rental income distributions from your investment.

And as of November 2025, Arrived has already paid out more than $19 million in dividends to over 900,000 registered investors.

And if you're interested in multifamily real estate, you might consider Lightstone DIRECT.

Lightstone DIRECT's direct-to-investor model ensures a high degree of alignment between individual investors and a vertically-integrated, institutional owner-operator — a sophisticated and streamlined option for individual investors looking to diversify into private-market real estate.

With Lightstone DIRECT, accredited individuals can access the same multifamily and industrial assets Lightstone pursues with its own capital, with minimum investments starting at $100,000.

You May Also Like

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.

Article Sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.

YouTube (1); U.S. Department of Labor (2); Bloomberg (3); Reuters (4); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (5); Berkshire Hathaway (6),(7); CNBC (8)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.