A Payroll Pop, Starbucks Sales, & Big Oil Buybacks 2/3/23

In a surprisingly strong report, the Labor Department revealed the U.S. economy added 517,000 jobs in January 2023, and an unemployment rate drop to 3.4%, the lowest level since 1969. CNBC’s Rick Santelli, Steve Liesman, and Andrew Ross Sorkin consider what the strong numbers mean for the Federal Reserve’s strategy to cool inflation. Among the employed, CNBC’s Robert Frank reports a rise in office attendance across U.S. cities. Plus, Chevron announced a $75 billion buyback program and a dividend boost in its quarterly report, and the oil giant’s giant profits are sparking renewed backlash from the White House. CEO Mike Wirth joins Joe Kernen and Becky Quick before tee-time at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am to discuss his company’s financial results and shareholder returns, and to address pressure on big oil from President Biden. After Starbucks reported a miss on earnings this quarter, CFO Rebecca Ruggeri shares her outlook for the company’s next quarter, despite weakness in international sales amid surging Covid cases in China. 

In this episode:

Robert Frank, @robtfrank

Becky Quick @BeckyQuick

Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk

Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin

Cameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY