The US added 147,000 jobs in June, more than expected.
The job market is still strong — but not too strong to stop a future rate cut.
The US dollar went up after the news.
Stocks also rose slightly before the July 4th holiday.
The US job market showed strength in June, adding 147,000 new jobs, beating the 120,000 that experts predicted.
Also, May’s job number was revised up to 144,000, showing the economy is slowing down a bit — but not in trouble.
The unemployment rate dropped to 4.1%, better than the 4.3% some had feared. This means more people are working, even with all the talk about trade tariffs and interest rate cuts.
The US dollar got stronger after the jobs report. Traders now believe the Federal Reserve may wait longer before lowering interest rates.
The Fed says the job market is still close to “maximum employment,” so there’s no rush to cut rates right now — especially while tariffs might still push prices up.
Most experts still expect two rate cuts in 2025, but they might happen later than expected.
US stock futures went up a little after the good job news, but not much — traders are already preparing for the July 4th holiday break.
The stock market and bond market both closed early on Thursday. Wall Street is quiet — the real fireworks are for the holiday.
All eyes now turn to upcoming inflation data and trade news. The big question: Can the strong job market keep going through the summer?