💥 It smelling recession!! Source of the article FINIMIZE

The US Created Fewer Jobs Than Expected, And Unemployment Ticked Up Too

US jobs data suggested that the country is starting to strain under high interest rates

What’s going on here?

Data out on Friday showed that the US created fewer jobs than expected, while the unemployment rate ticked up.

What does this mean?

Nonfarm payrolls are a monthly way of taking a read on employment levels in the US – excluding some industries like farming. This month, the stats won’t be a reassuring read for jobseekers. The country added a shaky 114,000 jobs versus the predicted 175,000, while the unemployment rate ticked up to a higher-than-expected 4.3% – the highest level in nearly three years. Plus, the average hourly wage was up 3.6%, lower than the predicted 3.7%. That suggests companies might be straining under the weight of high interest rates.

Why should I care?

The Fed doesn’t want to cut rates too quickly, as that could undo much of the progress made against inflation. But the central bank may be regretting its decision after this week’s data. Traders are still pricing in a 0.5% cut in September, with more to follow later in the year. Although, there are concerns that may be too late, with a hard landing seeming increasingly likely. That explains why some investors are running to “safe-haven” assets like US bonds.

The bigger picture: Running for the exit.

The Bank of Japan increased interest rates this week to support the stumbling yen. And because that forced traders who were betting against the yen to close their positions, the hike was rewarded with a strong rally. But that change also triggered a massive sell-off in Japanese stocks, because investors had borrowed the cheap yen to invest in stocks with higher returns. So one hike meant everyone rushed for the exits, causing the country’s main stock indexes to fall more than 7% in the last two days.