The US economy added 215,000 jobs in March, a little less than it did in February when 242,000 jobs were created. The unemployment rate has risen to 5% from 4.9%, which was an eight-year low, but the Labor Department said more Americans were finding jobs, which suggested a sign of confidence in the US economy. In effect this follows the report on the US economy which grew at an annualized rate of 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2015s.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Tuesday that the Fed still envisions a gradual pace of interest rate increases in light of global pressures that could weigh on the economy. Yellen did not specify a timetable for further hikes to follow the Fed's rate increase in December from record lows. She said the risks to the United States remain limited but cautions that assessment is subject to “considerable uncertainty.”
US markets rose on Wednesday, following the decision by the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged and a statement indicating the rate would only rise twice in 2016. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 79.64 points to 17,331.17. The S&P 500 gained 11.68 points to 2,027.61, while the tech-focused Nasdaq index was up 35.30 at 4,763.97.
Tightening financial conditions driven by falling stock prices, uncertainty over China and a global reassessment of credit risk could throw the US economy off track from an otherwise solid course, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen cautioned in a prepared testimony to Congress on Wednesday.
As anticipated by the Federal Reserve's report earlier this week, US economic growth braked sharply in the fourth quarter as businesses stepped up efforts to reduce an inventory glut and a strong dollar and tepid global demand weighed on exports.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said the United States economy is in a bubble he fears will burst and he does not want to deal with a financial collapse if he is elected to the White House.
The United States Federal Reserve said it was closely monitoring global economic conditions, but would not raise interest rates in a decision widely expected by most analysts. The central bank said US economic growth had slowed as exports fell because of the strengthening dollar.
The United States Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates in December was a close call, according to minutes from the Fed's December meeting. Fed members voted unanimously to raise its key interest rate by 25 basis points to between 0.25% and 0.5%. a move widely expected.But some members were cautious, because of global concerns and low inflation.
The United States Federal Reserve on Wednesday delivered its first interest rate hike since 2006, with the decision a unanimous one. The central bank raised its key federal funds rate to 0.25%, up from at or near zero percent for the last seven years.
US jobs growth remained solid in November as the economy added 211,000 jobs, slightly above expectations. The data, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, also showed the jobless rate held at its seven-and-a-half year low of 5%. Construction, food services and retail sectors all saw healthy job increases.