financetom
Economy
financetom
/
Economy
/
U.S. April Job Additions of 175K Miss Forecasts for 243K, BTC Rises Above $60K
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
U.S. April Job Additions of 175K Miss Forecasts for 243K, BTC Rises Above $60K
May 3, 2024 7:01 AM

The U.S. economy added 175,000 jobs in April, according to the government's Nonfarm Payrolls report released Friday morning. That number stands against economist forecasts for 243,000 jobs and March's 315,000 (which was revised from a previously reported 303,000).

The unemployment rate for April was 3.9% versus forecasts for 3.8% and March's 3.8%.

The price of bitcoin {{BTC}} jumped more than 1% to $60,100 in the minutes following the news.

Interest rates and the U.S. dollar have both risen strongly in 2024, particularly over the past few weeks, as market expectations of a slowing in economic growth and inflation have failed to pan out. Four months ago, a series of five or six 2024 interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve had been priced into forward markets, but, prior today, that was whittled down to one or two, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

In fact, interest rate hikes have begun to enter the chat. At his post-FOMC press conference Wednesday afternoon, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was asked more than once if the central bank was mulling the idea that rates needed to be ratcheted higher. Powell poured cold water over the idea, but continued strong job growth and perky inflation might force the Fed's hand at some point.

That tighter than anticipated monetary policy is surely among the array of factors have led bitcoin to tumble roughly 20% from its all-time high reached in mid-March, but this morning's report suggests a change a possible change in trend and prices are bouncing.

Traditional markets are also taking the news well. U.S. stock index futures are now all higher by more than 1% and the 10-year Treasury yield has tumbled 11 basis points to 4.47%. The dollar index has fallen 0.8% and the price of gold has risen 0.8% to $2,329 per ounce.

A check of other report details shows some weakness as well, with average hourly earnings in April up 0.2% against forecasts for 0.3% and March's 0.3%. On a year-over-year basis, average hourly earnings rose 3.9% versus forecasts for 4% and March's 4.1%.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for Feb. 24
Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for Feb. 24
Feb 24, 2025
02:29 PM EST, 02/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The Chicago Federal Reserve's National Activity index fell to minus 0.03 in January from 0.18 in December, above a minus 0.05 reading expected. The three-month moving average rose to 0.03 from minus 0.13. The Dallas Federal Reserve's monthly manufacturing reading fell to minus 8.3 in February from 14.1 in January, a return to...
Fed expected to respond strongly to inflation, job market conditions, research shows
Fed expected to respond strongly to inflation, job market conditions, research shows
Feb 24, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Investors and economists expect the U.S. central bank to respond strongly and systematically  to changes in inflation and the labor market, according to research published on Monday by the San Francisco Fed that underscores the current sensitivity of financial markets to U.S. economic data. The Fed's perceived responsiveness to economic data picked up notably in 2022, driven first...
Texas Manufacturing Activity Unexpectedly Falls Into Contraction Territory
Texas Manufacturing Activity Unexpectedly Falls Into Contraction Territory
Feb 24, 2025
03:59 PM EST, 02/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Texas manufacturing activity fell more sharply than expected and into contraction territory this month as executives cited rising uncertainty around tariffs. The general business activity index slid to a reading of minus 8.3 in February from 14.1 in January, the Dallas Fed's manufacturing outlook survey showed Monday. Analysts surveyed in a Bloomberg poll...
Dallas Fed February Manufacturing Index Declines More than Expected, In Contrast With Other Factory Data
Dallas Fed February Manufacturing Index Declines More than Expected, In Contrast With Other Factory Data
Feb 24, 2025
10:42 AM EST, 02/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The Dallas Fed's monthly manufacturing index fell sharply to a reading of minus 8.3 in February from 14.1 in January, compared with expectations for a smaller decrease to a reading of 6.4 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:45 am ET. The index indicates a return to contraction, which is in...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved