What to expect in Friday's jobs report

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What to expect in Friday’s jobs report

By Alicia Wallace
Updated 1 hr 28 min ago
Updated Mar 5, 2026, 8:39 AM ET
PUBLISHED Mar 5, 2026, 7:34 AM ET

Economic uncertainty tied to President Donald Trump’s signature trade policies has led many small businesses to lay off workers, delay expansion plans or scale back production.

ValenSil Technologies, for one, was growing at a pretty good clip heading into 2025. ... The Avon, Ohio-based aerosol filler expanded its manufacturing footprint, added a second shift and ramped up its workforce to 47 people, a near-tripling. ... At the rate business was humming along, ValenSil was on track to bolt on a third shift, add about eight to 15 more workers, and even purchase land for further expansion.

However, not only were those plans quickly moved to the backburner, but the second shift was cut and the workforce was whittled down – not by layoffs, but via attrition. ... Jim O’Connor, ValenSil’s buyer and hiring manager, attributed the production drop-off to the steep tariffs on inputs like aluminum and the heavily unpredictable nature of how they’ve been implemented. High uncertainty had stifled demand among the contract manufacturer’s clients, he said.


Empty aerosol cans at ValenSil Technologies' facility in Avon, Ohio (Courtesy Jim O’Connor)