South Korea Industry Minister Heads to Washington Amid U.S. Tariff Hike Concerns 
U.S. and El Salvador Sign Landmark Critical Minerals Agreement to Boost Investment and Trade 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
Philippine Economy Slows in Late 2025, Raising Expectations of Further Rate Cuts 
UK Vehicle Production Falls Sharply in 2025 Amid Cyberattack, Tariffs, and Industry Restructuring 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Starmer’s China Visit Signals New Era in UK–China Economic Relations 
Copper Prices Hit Record Highs as Metals Rally Gains Momentum on Geopolitical Tensions 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Lower as Tech Earnings and Fed Decision Shape Market Sentiment 
Gold Prices Hit Record High Above $5,500 as Iran Strike Fears Fuel Safe-Haven Demand 
Asia Stocks Pause as Tech Earnings, Fed Signals, and Dollar Weakness Drive Markets 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Second Week as Tariff Threats and Iran Tensions Shake Markets 
Gold Prices Pull Back After Record Highs as January Rally Remains Strong 
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on Canadian Aircraft Amid Escalating U.S.-Canada Trade Dispute 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
Indonesian Stocks Plunge as MSCI Downgrade Risk Sparks Investor Exodus 
Federal Reserve officials are set to assess upcoming US labor market data, including the August payrolls report, to determine the necessity of additional interest-rate reductions amid rising inflation.
Fed Poised to Assess Job Market Data as September Rate Cut Nears Amid Inflation Concerns
In a recent report by Bloomberg, Federal Reserve policymakers will gain insight into the necessity for additional interest-rate reductions in the following readouts on the US labor market, such as the monthly payrolls report, following an all-but-certain cut in a little over two weeks.
Chair Jerome Powell has predicted a September rate cut and stated that officials "do not seek or welcome" additional cooling in the labor market despite inflation still progressing at a rate that exceeds the Federal Reserve's objective. In the preceding weeks, government data indicated that the unemployment rate had reached its highest level in nearly three years and that job growth in July was less than anticipated.
According to the median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg survey, the August employment report is anticipated to indicate that payrolls in the world's largest economy increased by approximately 165,000 on September 6.
While surpassing the modest 114,000 increase in July, the average payroll growth over the past three months would decrease to slightly more than 150,000, the lowest level since the beginning of 2021. The unemployment rate will likely decline from 4.3% to 4.2% in August.
July Job Vacancy Data to Signal Labor Market Trends Ahead of Key Fed Decision
The government will release July job vacancy figures two days before the report on September 6. The number of open positions, a metric for labor demand, is anticipated to be at a three-month low of 8.1 million, just above the low that has endured for over three years.
The Federal Reserve closely monitors the number of vacancies per unemployed worker, which is presently at 1.2. This figure is comparable to pre-pandemic levels and indicates that labor demand is approximately in equilibrium with supply. The ratio was 2 to 1 at its highest point in 2022.
The job openings report also contains information on discharges and layoffs. Any substantial increase could further exacerbate Fed officials' concerns about a weakening labor market.
Labor-related reports released during the forthcoming holiday-shortened week include the ADP Research Institute's August snapshot of private payrolls and weekly jobless claims. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve will publish its Beige Book, which provides an overview of regional economic conditions. The Institute for Supply Management will provide purchasing managers with indexes for manufacturing and services.
