US Jobs Report Misses Mark: August Figures Fuel Fed Rate Cut Speculation

In August, the U.S. job market grew at a slower pace than anticipated, adding 142,000 positions compared to the forecasted 161,000. This figure represents a drop from July’s 89,000 new jobs.

The unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.2%, while the workforce expanded by 120,000, reducing the jobless rate by 0.1 percentage points. However, the labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 62.7%.

An alternative unemployment measure, including those not actively seeking work, rose to 7.9%, its highest since late 2021.

Markets had a muted reaction to the report, with stock futures and Treasury yields showing little movement. Notably, job figures for the previous two months were revised downward, with July’s numbers reduced by 25,000 and June’s by 61,000.

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Construction led job gains with 34,000 new positions, followed by healthcare at 31,000 and social assistance at 13,000. Manufacturing, however, lost 24,000 jobs.

Wages increased by 0.4% from the previous month and 3.8% year-over-year, surpassing estimates. Average work hours also ticked up to 34.3.

This data comes as the Federal Reserve prepares for its September 17-18 meeting, with markets expecting a potential rate cut, though the extent remains uncertain.

Alexander Stefanov