Fed’s Labor Market Watch: Insights from the Financial Times and Bureau of Labor Statistics

Editor Roula Khalaf of the Financial Times has chosen to feature her favorite stories in the weekly newsletter. The US economy added 206,000 jobs in June, surpassing forecasts but down from the previous month, as economists expected non-farm payrolls to have increased by 190,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report on Friday also revealed a slight increase in the US unemployment rate from 4.0% to 4.1%.

The strength of the US labor market over the past two years has allowed the Federal Reserve to take a cautious approach to lowering borrowing costs. The central bank is closely monitoring employment conditions and inflation to guide its decision on when to begin an interest rate cutting cycle. Just days after the minutes of the central bank’s June meeting showed members of the rate-setting committee were more attentive to the downside risks to the US labor market, Friday’s data provides further insight into this developing story.