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Federal Reserve officials gathering at the annual central banking conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, this week can take some satisfaction that the U.S. unemployment rate, at 4.3%, remains low by historical standards. But it usually is: The U.S. experience of unemployment since the late 1940s has involved jobless rates that far more often than not are below the 5.7% long-run average, until they rise fast and far above it, a phenomenon Fed officials are worried about repeating. The steady rise in the unemployment rate from 3.7% in January of 2023 to 4.3% as of July 2024 has also been accompanied by an increase of 1.2 million in the number of people looking for work - something that is usually considered a positive sign for the economy but that can cause the unemployment rate to rise.

(Bloomberg) -- Oil options markets are losing their bullish hue as hopes grow that Israel and Hamas will agree to a cease-fire and as Iran holds back for now on a much-anticipated retaliatory attack. Most Read from Bloomberg‘Train Lovers’ Organize to Support Harris and Walz in Presidential BidPart of Downtown Montreal Is Flooded After Water Pipe BreaksClimate Disasters Are an Affordable Housing ProblemHaving turned the most bullish in almost four months last week, the options market’s so-called

(Bloomberg) -- US job growth in the year through March was likely far less robust than initially estimated, which risks fueling concerns that the Federal Reserve is falling further behind the curve to lower interest rates. Most Read from BloombergA Floating Island in Baltimore Raises Hope for a Waterfront Revival‘Train Lovers’ Organize to Support Harris and Walz in Presidential BidPart of Downtown Montreal Is Flooded After Water Pipe BreaksClimate Disasters Are an Affordable Housing ProblemNJ Tr

Federal Reserve officials have said they're increasingly confident that they've nearly tamed inflation. With inflation cooling toward its 2% target, the pace of hiring slowing and the unemployment rate edging up, the Fed is poised to cut its benchmark interest rate next month from its 23-year high. Chair Jerome Powell will likely provide some hints about how the Fed sees the economy and what its next steps may be in a high-profile speech Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at the Fed's annual conference of central bankers.

(Bloomberg) -- Oil held the biggest drop in more than two weeks as the US said Israel had accepted a cease-fire proposal to halt the war in Gaza, potentially easing supply risks just as concerns about the outlook for demand mount.Most Read from BloombergA Floating Island in Baltimore Raises Hope for a Waterfront Revival‘Train Lovers’ Organize to Support Harris and Walz in Presidential BidPart of Downtown Montreal Is Flooded After Water Pipe BreaksThe Cross-Continental Race Using Only Public Tran

(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump downplayed criticism he’s undercut the US Federal Reserve’s autonomy, saying he should be able to freely share his views on interest-rate policy.Most Read from BloombergA Floating Island in Baltimore Raises Hope for a Waterfront Revival‘Train Lovers’ Organize to Support Harris and Walz in Presidential BidPart of Downtown Montreal Is Flooded After Water Pipe BreaksThe Cross-Continental Race Using Only Public TransitClimate Disasters Are an Affordable Housing Problem“I