- Nonfarm payrolls increased by 162,000 in August versus the 53,000 consensus estimate, marking the strongest monthly gain since March.
- The unemployment rate held at 4.1% even as labor-force participation rose 0.2 percentage point, while the broader unemployment measure fell to 7.7%.
- Stock futures moved mostly lower and short-term Treasury yields rose sharply after the report, reflecting reduced expectations for near-term policy easing.
Quotes
“The U.S. economy added jobs at a brisk pace in August, reversing a summer slowdown in hiring, while the unemployment rate held steady.”