U.S. jobs report

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January Jobs Report Doesn't Mean What Washington Says It Does

By , Associate Editor, Money Morning • @DavidGZeiler -

January jobs report

The January jobs report seemed like good news.

The U.S. Labor Department said 257,000 jobs were added to the economy. That easily beat the 230,000 numbers analysts had expected.

And yet unemployment ticked up to 5.7% from 5.6%. Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald sees the conflicting data in the jobs report as more proof the recovery is not the success President Barack Obama claims.

In this video, Fitz-Gerald discusses what the funny numbers from the January jobs report mean for the U.S. economy...

Stock Market Today Will Move on This Good-but-Bad Jobs News

By , Executive Producer, Money Morning -

Stock market today

Stock market today, February 6, 2015: U.S. stock futures for Friday, Feb. 6, showed a 7-point increase from yesterday's close. The Dow Jones added 212 points Thursday on rising oil prices and news that Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) will purchase Hospira Inc. (NYSE: HSP) for $17 billion, or $90 per share.

This morning, investors will look past gloomy European economic data and focus on earnings reports and the U.S. jobs report.

The good news: at 8:30 a.m., the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the U.S. created approximately 257,000 jobs, handily topping consensus expectations of 234,000. The bad news: the unemployment rate in January unexpectedly climbed from 5.6% to 5.7%.

Here's what else you should know about the stock market today - including your "Money Morning Tip of the Day" - to make it a profitable Friday...

The Scary Wage Growth Story in the December Jobs Report

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

December jobs report

The December jobs report released today (Friday) by the U.S. Department of Labor highlights what’s missing in the job market’s recovery: wage growth.

According to the report, the United States added 252,000 jobs last month, ahead of consensus estimates of 240,000. That was enough to push the unemployment rate down to 5.6%.

But those impressive numbers were not enough to distract from the bigger story of falling wages…

Where September's Job Gains Came From

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

where September's job gains came from

The unemployment rate dipped below 6% for the first time in six years, as the U.S. Department of Labor reported today (Friday) that employers added 248,000 new jobs in September. The gains took the unemployment rate down to 5.9% from August's 6.1% and beat consensus estimates of 215,000.

Here's where September's job gains came from - plus a look at the trouble still lurking beneath the numbers...

August Jobs Report Flop: Smallest Gain This Year with Only 142,000 Jobs Added

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

August jobs report

The August jobs report was disappointing indeed, missing estimates by a whopping 83,000.

Last month employers added the fewest jobs in eight months, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday. Payrolls increased by an uninspiring 142,000 in August, handily missing the median forecast for an increase of 230,000.

But that headline number wasn't even the worst part of the report...

July Jobs Report: Growth Slows, Slack Lingers in U.S. Labor Market

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

U.S. job growth slowed more than expected in July, resulting in an unexpected rise in the unemployment rate, according to the July jobs report just released today (Friday) by the U.S. Department of Labor.

After surging (a revised) 298,000 in June, nonfarm payrolls increased by 209,000 last month. The unemployment rate ticked up to 6.2% from 6.1%.

Here are 12 key takeaways from the closely watched July jobs report…

The Stock Market Today's Top Stories, Including DIS, FOX, GE, AAL and More

By , Executive Producer, Money Morning -

stock market today

Stock market today, July 17, 2014: The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up yesterday (Wednesday) for its 15th record-breaking close in 2014. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen testified before Congress, reiterating that the economy remains vulnerable to a struggling job market and stagnating wages - two reasons why the central bank will continue its loose monetary policy in 2014.

Here are the top headlines in the stock market today you should know to make your Thursday profitable...

U.S. Labor Department Jobs Report: Big Gains in June, but Still Lagging Behind

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

U.S. Labor Department jobs report

Optimism surrounded Thursday's release of the June U.S. Labor Department Jobs Report, but although the numbers were better than expected, we still have plenty to worry about, and the economy is still in trouble.

Employers added 288,000 jobs in June. The unemployment rate dipped to 6.1% from 6.3%, the lowest level since September 2008.

Despite some encouraging figures in the jobs report, it is still peppered with troubling data - like these dismal numbers...

March Jobs Report: Still Stuck in Second Gear

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

U.S. Labor Department jobs report The highly anticipated March jobs report out today supported what U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said earlier this week: The job market is not back to normal and the Fed has more to do on the unemployment front. This morning, the U.S. government announced that the economy barely missed expectations of 200,000 new jobs […]

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February Jobs Report: More Job Seekers, Still Too Few Jobs

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

Following two months of dismal growth, the February jobs report suggests an improving labor landscape. But despite the numbers, the employment picture remains cloudy at best.

The Labor Department reported today (Friday) that employers added 175,000 jobs last month, beating expectations of 150,000. Yet the February figure is still well below the 280,000 jobs created in the same month a year ago.

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January Jobs Report: Even the Cooked Numbers Are Bad

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

The January jobs report is another sign of how weak our economic recovery is - and it's not even taking into account all of the unemployed.

Friday, the Labor Department reported employers added 113,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate ticked down to 6.6% from 6.7% in January, a rate not seen in five years.

But we know that number doesn't tell the full story...

The decline in the unemployment rate is due to an ongoing trend: discouraged workers exiting the labor force.

The actual unemployment rate, the U-6 rate, which includes "marginally attached workers plus total employed part time for economic reasons," remains at an unhealthy 12.7%.

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