U.S. Economic News
June 2, 2017
U.S. Economic Indicators
The U.S. economy added 138,000 jobs in May, below consensus. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.3%, average hourly earnings rose 2.5% Y/Y, and the labor force participation rate fell to 62.7%. BLS Report
The U.S. trade deficit rose from $45.3 billion in March (revised) to $47.6 billion in April. The goods deficit increased $2.3 billion while the services surplus declined less than $0.1 billion. Census Bureau Report
U.S. News
The Wall Street Journal writes that the Federal Reserve faces mixed signals from the economy as unemployment remains low yet inflation has struggled to pick up. Fed officials have focused on labor market strength in recent months, which they say will eventually cause inflationary pressures in the economy. WSJ