Here’s what to look for in tomorrow’s jobs report
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Here’s what to look for in tomorrow’s jobs report
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its first jobs report of 2016 Friday morning. The release will cover December, and also be a sum-up of 2015. Here’s what to expect:
Jobs
Job creation is expected to remain moderate and steady, with between 200,000 and 215,000 jobs added. Payroll services company ADP reported Wednesday that the private sector added 257,000 jobs in December, beating consensus. However, many economists don’t consider ADP’s figures a good predictor of the jobs report, the Wall Street Journal noted, especially in December.
Unemployment
The unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 5.0 percent, though some economists see indications that more workers returned to the labor force in December, which could push the unemployment rate higher.
Wages
Wages are expected to continue rising moderately, by 0.2 in December compared to November, or a 2.8 percent increase year-over-year. Wage growth will be key as we look ahead to 2016. Are Americans finally feeling like they’re doing better, seven years into the recovery? We’ll have our first indication Friday morning.
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