Strong jobs report fuels Fed rate hike prospects as Trump escalates rate cut pressure
A stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report has put a September interest-rate hike back firmly on the table, leaving Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh facing a difficult choice as President Donald Trump intensifies his demands for lower borrowing costs, Reuters reported.U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, nearly three times what economists had expected, while the labor force participation rate rose to 61.6%. More people moved from the sidelines directly into jobs, helping keep the unemployment rate at 4.1% even as the pool of available workers expanded.The report strengthens the argument for the Fed to raise rates at its Sept. 15-16 meeting, particularly after Warsh last week said he needed confidence that inflation was moving back toward the central bank's 2% target "clearly and at sufficient speed. Otherwise, we have work to do."But the stronger labor market data arrives as Trump steps up pressure on the central bank."The Fed Board, with its great new leader...