Hiring strong, pressures Fed

https://www.wsj.com/articles/february-jobs-report-unemployme…

**February Hiring Strongest Since Summer; Unemployment Falls to Pandemic Low**
**But rising oil prices and looming rate increases from the Fed pose new threats to the jobs recovery**
**by Josh Mitchell, The Wall Street Journal, 3/4/2022**

**The U.S. economy posted the strongest job growth in seven months in February and the unemployment rate fell to the lowest level since the pandemic, signs of a strong labor market ahead of a pivotal Federal Reserve meeting.**

**mployers added a seasonally adjusted 678,000 workers to their payrolls last month, the strongest gain since last July, the Labor Department said Friday. The jobless rate, derived from a separate survey of households, fell to 3.8% from 4.0% a month earlier, edging closer to the pre-pandemic level of 3.5%. ...Job growth was also stronger in prior months than initially reported, the agency said. The economy added 481,000 jobs in January and 588,000 jobs in December. ...** [end quote]

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These strong employment numbers will pressure the Federal Reserve to raise the fed funds rate in about a week. Fed Chair Powell has announced a 0.25% rate raise. But if inflation remains hot and hiring remains strong, expect 2022 to have a few rate raises.

Wendy

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These strong employment numbers will pressure the Federal Reserve to raise the fed funds rate in about a week.

That is what I was thinking: “better than expected” jobs report means Fed will take the free money away from Wall St, resulting in today’s decline.

However, the stocks I hold for yield, primarily electric utilities, are up today. Banks and manufacturing are being hammered.

Steve

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