U.S. employers added 209,000 jobs in June, lower than analysts expected. This shows that the Federal Reserve’s plan to slow growth may be working. The unemployment rate fell slightly to 3.6%. Year-over-year wage growth rose to 4.4%.
The Numbers
209,000: U.S. employers added 209,000 jobs in June.
3.6%: The unemployment rate fell to 3.6%.
4.4%: Wages rose 4.4% over the past year.
The Good
June’s job gains are the smallest in two-and-a-half years, and economists say that’s good news. As MarketWatch reports, the Federal Reserve has been raising rates in the hopes of slowing job growth to decrease inflation. The latest report is a step in the right direction. Experts say that the 209,000 number “threads the needle between too strong and too weak” and marks a sustainable pace for growth, going as far as saying “if we’re going to have a soft landing, this is what it looks like.”
The Bad
However, there are areas of concern in the report. As the New York Times reports, year-over-year wage growth jumped again to 4.4% when analysts had expected a drop to 4.2%. Additionally, the month-over-month increase hit 0.4%. The Federal Reserve is also looking for wage growth to slow in order to hit their inflation goal of 2%, but it has remained stubbornly high.
The Unknown
The big question heading into July is how the report will influence the Fed at their next meetings later this month and in September. As the Wall Street Journal reports, officials have indicated that they are likely to increase interest rates to a 22-year high at the July 25-26 meeting after pausing increases in June. While the job growth points to a move in the right direction, wage growth indicates that the economy is still strong.
