At a time when Americans and the Federal Reserve are clamoring for clear-cut data about the state and trajectory of the economy, Friday’s jobs report was much more opaque than everyone had hoped. Employment fell in the household survey, while unemployment increased to just shy of 6.5 million and pushing the unemployment rate to the threshold of 4%. Service-providing industries accounted for the bulk of the month’s job gains, with health care and social assistance continuing to lead the way, with 83,500 jobs added. “Don’t get overly spooked by the rise in the unemployment rate,” Bunker wrote. “The labor market is still gliding toward a soft landing.”

---

Persons: ” Dean Baker, “, I’ve, Diane Swonk, ”, Wall, Chris Rupkey, FwdBonds, CEPR’s Baker, ” Baker, ” Thomas Simons, Jeffries, Nick Bunker, Bunker, “ Don’t, ” Bunker Organizations: CNN, Federal Reserve, Center for Economic, Policy Research, of Labor Statistics, KPMG, That’s, Index, Traders, BLS, Service, North America