Analysis
January Jobs Report Won’t Change the Fed’s New Wait-and-See Stance
It will take more than one month of solid employment numbers for the Federal Reserve to move again on rates
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady Wednesday and delivered its strongest signal to date that the central bank may have reached the end of its latest series of interest-rate increases. Nick Timiraos explains. Photo: Getty
The strong January employment report offers one promising data point for Federal Reserve officials who are trying to gauge how the U.S. economy weathered increased market volatility and slowing global growth at the end of last year.
Fed officials signaled this week that after raising their benchmark interest rate four times last year, they are on hold until further notice. It will take more than one solid employment report for them to move again.
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