What Economists Are Saying Before the September U.S. Jobs Report
“The U.S. labor market was at its most robust in decades until Hurricane Florence landed. Now, ahead of the Labor Department’s September jobs report due at 8:30 a.m. Friday in Washington, the question on economists’ minds is just how much the storm affected payrolls, wages and hours worked. They all agree that any weather-related distortions will prove temporary, one reason the initial results — should they be weak — won’t be taken as the most accurate signal of the employment picture. Other recent data show strong demand for labor, suggesting that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell doesn’t have much reason to halt gradual rate hikes.”