Participants judged that labor market conditions had remained solid and that those conditions were broadly consistent with the Committee’s goal of maximum employment. Payroll gains had averaged 170,000 per month over the last three months of 2024 and the unemployment rate had stabilize...
after being overheated in recent years, the labor market was now less tight than it had been just before the pandemic. As evidence, participants cited the slowdown in payroll employment growth and the uptick in the unemployment rate in the two employment reports received since the ...
Recent data suggested that labor market conditions had eased slightly further but remained solid. Average monthly nonfarm payroll gains over October and November were a little below their pace in the third quarter. The staff estimated that job gains were held down by the effects of ...
Recent data suggested that labor market conditions remained solid. Average monthly nonfarm payroll gains in the third quarter were similar to those seen in the second quarter. October job gains were held down noticeably by the effects of strikes and hurricanes. The unemployment rate ha...
many participants noted that reported payroll gains might be overstated, and several assessed that payroll gains may be lower than those needed to keep the unemployment rate constant with a flat labor force participation rate. Participants observed that other indicators also pointed to e...