The monthly jobs report for August points to a further cooling in the labor market, a welcome sign for markets and the Federal Reserve’s inflation fight.
While he’s focused on 187,000 new jobs in August coming in higher than expected, a more crucial factor for him might be the average workweek edging up to 34.4 hours, while employment for temporary workers fell. As of August, the 3-month rolling average was 3.6%. The rule would be triggered if the current unemployment rate holds for two more months, Corey said.