(NewsNation) — Kevin O’Leary says a “soft” jobs report from December isn’t dampening his enthusiasm about where the U.S. economy may be heading in 2026.

U.S. employers added 50,000 jobs last month — a level that generally fell short of expectations — while the national unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.4%, according to federal data.

“Fifty thousand was soft, no getting around it. You wish it was 150,000,” O’Leary, a Canadian venture capitalist and co-star of “Shark Tank,” told “The Hill” on Friday.  

O’Leary said business entrepreneurs are still waiting for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Trump’s use of tariffs. Depending on how the justices rule, he said, businesses may stand to get rebates on duties that already have been paid.

“Until you know that, you’re a little bit concerned about hiring the next person, and that’s showing up in the job numbers,” O’Leary said.

He noted markets closed higher Friday, a possible indication that investors anticipate another Fed interest rate cut down the road.