U.S. job growth beats forecasts, paving way for Fed rate hikes

The U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May, almost double economists’ expectations, strengthening the case for a Federal Reserve rate hike this year.

The unemployment rate remained stable at 4.3%, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Bitcoin remained under pressure following the report, trading below $62,000 as the broader crypto market saw sharp declines overnight.

The 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 4.52% following the report. U.S. stock index futures were also lower, with the Nasdaq 100 index down 1.2%. Oil prices fell slightly to $94 per barrel, while gold slipped 1.1% to around $4,400 per ounce.

Recent economic data continues to point to a resilient U.S. economy this week. Both the ISM manufacturing and ISM services indices exceeded expectations and remained in expansionary territory.

US stocks have had an incredibly strong performance, with the S&P 500 on pace to post gains for 10 straight weeks and rise about 10% year to date. However, some exuberance faded in the semiconductor sector following Broadcom’s earnings report, which disappointed investors with a weaker-than-expected outlook for demand for AI-related chips.

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