U.S. Payrolls Grow at Slowest Pace in 9 Months
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...000-in-june-jobless-rate-climbed-to-9-2-.html
American employers added jobs at the slowest pace in nine months in June and the unemployment rate unexpectedly climbed to 9.2 percent, sending global stocks tumbling on concern the worldâs biggest economy is faltering.
Employers increased payrolls by 18,000 workers, less than the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of economists, which called for growth of 105,000. The increase followed a 25,000 gain that was less than half the initial estimate. Hiring by companies was the weakest since May 2010.
âThis is a very fragile state for the U.S. labor market,â said John Herrmann, a senior fixed-income strategist at State Street Global Markets LLC in Boston. âIt suggests that the overall recovery remains somewhat tenuous.â
Treasuries climbed as the report called into question Federal Reserve forecasts for an economic rebound in the second half of the year and raised the odds of additional stimulus. The increase in unemployment also poses a fresh challenge for President Barack Obama as he seeks to keep the economy growing while also negotiating budget cuts with congressional leaders.
âStunned,â was how Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. in New York, described his reaction. âThis number will really turn your hair gray, thatâs for sure. The economy remains mired in its soft patch, which is looking more like a deep bog.â
Estimates of the 85 economists surveyed by Bloomberg for overall payrolls ranged from increases of 40,000 to 175,000. (See related commentary.)
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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/poor-jobs-data-stuns-wall-street-politicians-2011-07-08
âWe can see no silver lining in this employment report, which is weak, weak, weak.â â John Ryding, RDQ Economics
⢠âThe details arenât quite as bad as the headline, with private payrolls up 57,000, but thatâs still pretty terrible when compared to the 240,000 average as recently as the three months to April.â â Ian Shepherdson, High Frequency Economics
⢠âThe upshot is that exactly two years after the recovery began, broad labor market conditions havenât improved at all.â â Paul Ashworth, Capital Economics
⢠âThe June payroll employment report shows that companies continue to focus on cost cutting instead of expanding their business in the search of profits. This confirms that CEOs have no confidence in the sustainability of the recovery/expansion.â â Steven Ricchiuto, Mizuho Securities
⢠âTemporary workers, which usually rise when job growth is solid, declined. Firms often start off by hiring temps before determining they need permanent workers and that didnât happen.â â Joel Naroff, Naroff Economic Advisors
⢠âWith downward pressure on government payrolls likely to persist, it is important to look at the overall nonfarm payroll results rather than just those for the private sector.â â Joshua Shapiro, MFR Inc.
⢠âSimply put, this was a very weak report and it suggests that the slowdown in economic activity may have been deeper than thought. Even so, we believe that the worse of the slowdown is behind us and expect the pace of jobs growth and economic activity to accelerate in the coming months.â â Millan Mulraine, TD Securities