Due out tomorrow (Friday) by the U.S. Labor Department, the August report isn't expected to be enough to lower the U.S. unemployment rate.
An uninspiring 120,000 jobs are expected to have been added in August, according to a CNNMoney survey, a notable slowdown in hiring from July's seasonally adjusted 163,000.
July's number was the strongest showing in five months, yet it still was not vigorous enough to keep up with population growth. The unemployment rate actually ticked up a notch to an unhealthy 8.3%.
Here are two reasons tomorrow's U.S. jobs report is a biggie.
August U.S. Jobs Report: What's at Stake?
- President Obama's Obstacle
The employment report comes just weeks before the November presidential election. President Obama and his administration have long been blamed for the stagnant and elevated unemployment level, the lack of job creation and as a result, the slow going economy.
With just three more monthly jobs reports due out prior to the November election, Team Obama could certainly use a boost from better-than-expected numbers. The president is treading at break-even level on jobs and it is very doubtful that the unemployment rate will fall below 8% by then.
"The soft economic environment that we're having is not going to be good for any incumbent. It's a tough sell for anyone in office," Sam Bullard, a Wells Fargo senior economist told CNN Money.
No incumbent president has won re-election with an unemployment rate greater than 7.2% since FDR's rein.
On the other side of things, according to a piece in Business Insider, a top Wall Street source who backs presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said a robust showing in Friday's report bodes well for President Obama. "If the number is good Friday it doubles his [President Obama's] bounce. Maybe triples it. If it comes in really low, it could extinguish it. I don't think there's ever been a more important jobs number, politically, than this one."
If the report nearly meets or matches the expected 120,000, it "won't matter as much" according to the source.