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Fed Officials Signal September Rate Cut After Revised Jobs Show Cooling Labor Market

Weaker labor figures have emboldened policymakers to plan for September rate cuts pending clearer evidence on tariffs’ effects on inflation.

Overview

  • Labor Department revisions show job gains slowed to a three-month average of 35,000 and unemployment ticked up to 4.2%, highlighting labor-market fragility.
  • Vice Chair Michelle Bowman said the weak jobs data reinforce her forecast for three interest-rate cuts in 2025 and urged easing to begin in September.
  • Several regional Fed presidents, including Mary Daly and Raphael Bostic, have voiced openness or impatience for a rate cut as soon as the next meeting.
  • Financial markets have priced in significant policy easing by year-end, betting on at least a half-percentage-point reduction in rates.
  • Chair Jerome Powell maintains a data-dependent stance, emphasizing the need to assess the inflationary impact of new tariffs before cutting rates.