Temperatures Drop but Hiring Heats Up

October 25, 2023

A few weeks ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that total nonfarm payrolls rose by 336,000 during the month of September. This figure was roughly double that of the Dow Jones consensus estimate and more than 100,000 higher than the job gains posted during the previous month of August. These increases occurred across a variety of industries, including leisure and hospitality (96,000 job adds), health care (41,000 job adds), and professional, scientific, and technical services (29,000 job adds). Government employment also increased by 73,000 during the month. Additionally, the unemployment rate remained constant at 3.8% in September, and both of these data points can be observed in this week’s chart.

The robust job gains notched in September beg the natural question: How will a strong domestic labor market impact upcoming decisions of the Federal Reserve as it relates to the path of interest rates? Clearly, labor market data is supportive of “higher for longer” messaging, especially since inflation remains above the central bank’s long-run target of 2%. Based on futures markets, most forecasters believe that it is not until the middle of 2024 that the Fed’s policy rate will ultimately come down. In the more immediate term, futures markets indicate the likelihood of a pause at the next FOMC meeting, however, any decisions after that will depend on additional inflation and labor market data. Marquette will continue to monitor dynamics within the domestic labor market, assess current and future Fed policy, and provide guidance to clients accordingly.

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