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U.S. employers added 206,000 jobs in June as unemployment rose from 4% to 4.1%.
The nation added 218,000 jobs in May, suggesting the labor market remains strong, according to Fox. It is unclear, however, how many of the “new jobs” are just second jobs taken on by people looking to support themselves through inflationary pricing on all goods and services. (TAKE A POLL: Do You Agree That Small Businesses Are the Backbone of Our Economy and Need More Support?)
A third of the jobs created in June were in the government sector, which rose by 70,000. This is significantly higher than the average in 2023, which was just 49,000. Experts say the U.S. should add at least 150,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth within the working-age population. But this number also accounts for the recent surge in immigration, Fox added.
Consumer Demands Weaken
Analysis published by CNN argued that a consumer demand has tapered off throughout summer 2024. “weakness is also evident in the latest spending figures — a far cry from last year’s lucrative summertime spending spree when Americans shelled out for films and high-profile concerts,” the analysis noted. (TAKE A POLL: Should the Government Take Immediate Action to Curb Inflation, Even if it Means Higher Taxes?)
“When you think of services, a lot of it is driven by the consumer, and consumers are key to where the US economy goes,” James Knightley, chief international economist at ING, told CNN. “We’re starting to see stress in more and more households.”
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