Unemployment Benefits Steady, Inflation Pressures Grow

0:00On March 26th, new applications for U.S. unemployment benefits ticked up just a bit last week, rising by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted to 110,000 for the period ending March 21st. That figure matched economist expectations and stays within the narrow range as held all year, signaling a mostly steady labor market so far. Economist points to factors like tough import tariffs and stricter immigration rules as reasons for sluggish job gains with private sector payrolls. Adding only about 18,000 jobs per month lately. This has led to what some call a balance of flat employment growth, keeping things stable but with hints of potential slowdowns ahead. The big concern now is inflation pressures from the ongoing Middle East conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran. All prices have surged over 30% since late February, pushing up costs for imports, producers, and even fertilizers which could show up in. Upcoming consumer price reports.

1:00Continuing claims for benefits which hinted hiring trends dropped by 32,000 to 1.819 million for the week ending. March 14th, meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged up to 4.4% in February from 4.3% the month before. Federal Reserve officials have kept their key interest rate steady in the 3.50 to 3.75% range with plans. For just one cut this year and markets are betting those odds are slipping as they watch both jobs data and rising prices closely.