Mortgage rates moved a bit higher last week. As of Friday, February 6, 2026, the average 30-year fixed conforming rate was 6.083% per Optimal Blue. Optimal Blue’s mortage rate index is based on an average from rates that were locked by lenders who utilize OB. We don’t know what the factors are for pricing the rates and these rates are from Friday so they are expired. For current mortgage rates based on your personal scenario, please contact me.
This is a data-heavy week, and several of these reports can influence mortgage rates — especially inflation and employment numbers.
This Week’s Economic Calendar
Tuesday
-
ADP Employment Report
-
Retail Sales
Wednesday
-
BLS Jobs Report
(This is the January jobs report that was originally scheduled for Friday, February 6 and pushed to this week.)
Thursday
-
Weekly Jobless Claims
-
Existing Home Sales
-
30-Year Treasury Bond Auction
Friday
-
CPI – Consumer Price Index
Why Was the Jobs Report Delayed?
Yes — it did raise some eyebrows.
The BLS jobs report was delayed due to a technical/data processing issue, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There was no indication of a change to the data itself, just additional time needed to complete and verify the report before release.
While delays like this are uncommon, they do happen occasionally. Markets tend to stay cautious ahead of a delayed jobs report because employment data plays such a big role in how the Fed — and bond markets — view inflation risk.
Why This Week Matters for Mortgage Rates
-
Jobs + inflation = bond market volatility
-
The CPI report on Friday is especially important, as it gives insight into whether inflation is cooling — or re-accelerating.
-
The 30-year bond auction on Thursday can also impact mortgage rates, since mortgage-backed securities tend to follow longer-term Treasury yields.
If inflation comes in cooler than expected, that could help mortgage rates. If it runs hot, rates may feel some upward pressure.
As always, if you’re thinking about buying, refinancing, or just want a mortgage check-up, I’m happy to walk through your options and timing scenarios with you. Markets change quickly — strategy matters more than headlines.
As you can probably tell, as of the publishing of this post, I’m still on our vacation and will return to my “normal” programing with my video updates soon!
PS: CONGRATS SEAHAWKS!!!
Photo of my AI twin.
Discover more from The Mortgage Porter
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
About Rhonda Porter
Please leave a reply