Overview
- June PCE inflation rose 2.6% year-over-year, exceeding forecasts and remaining above the Fed’s 2% target.
- U.S. employers added only 73,000 jobs in July, falling short of the 100,000 economists expected and signaling labor-market weakness.
- The ISM services price index climbed to 69.9% in July, its highest reading since October 2022 and marking 98 straight months of service-sector inflation.
- Initial jobless claims jumped to 226,000 in the week ending August 2, topping projections and pointing to rising unemployment risks.
- Tariffs near Smoot-Hawley levels and stricter immigration enforcement have raised business costs and reduced labor supply, fueling ongoing inflationary pressures.