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US job worries intensify calls for immediate Fed rate cuts
Weak jobs, rising unemployment, slowing wages, falling hours worked The August jobs report is softer than hoped. Non-farm payrolls rose just 22k versus the 75k consensus. There were 29k of upward revisions to the past two months, but even if we add those back in it is still a modest downside miss. Unemployment ticked up to 4.3% from 4.2% as expected, but underemployment (people who want to work more hours) rose faster to 8.1% from 7.9%, hours worked fell to 34.2 hours and wage growth slowed to 3.7% year-on-year from 3.9% – so it is soft everywhere. The details show private education and health adding 46k and ... (full story)