The US economy created far fewer jobs than expected last month and wages also rose less than forecast. Some 75,000 jobs were created in May rather than the 185,000 expected by analysts, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
Chairman Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that the Federal Reserve is prepared to respond if it decides the Trump administration's trade conflicts are threatening the U.S. economy. Investors read his remarks as a signal that the Fed will likely cut interest rates later this year.
The United States private sector's mounting debts pose a moderate risk to the world's largest economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Monday.
The US central bank warned on Monday of persistent risks to the financial system posed by elevated stock prices and historically high corporate debt loads as well as the impact of President Donald Trump's trade wars.
The US Federal Reserve has kept interest rates on hold despite pressure from President Donald Trump to announce a cut. The central bank said borrowing costs will remain at between 2.25%-2.5%.
The US economy grew much faster than expected in the first quarter of the year, helped by a jump in exports and by firms building up stocks of goods. The economy expanded at an annualized pace of 3.2% in the January-to-March period, well above analysts' forecasts.
US economy created the lowest number of jobs for a year-and-a-half in February, well below forecasts. Just 20,000 new jobs were created last month against expectations of a 180,000 increase, official figures show.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday signaled its three-year-drive to tighten monetary policy may be at an end amid a suddenly cloudy outlook for the U.S. economy due to global headwinds and impasses over trade and government budget negotiations.
The number of United States citizens filing applications for unemployment benefits fell to more than a 49-year low last week, but the drop likely overstates the health of the labour market as claims for several states including California were estimated.
The US economy created many more jobs than expected in December, according to the latest government data. Employers added 312,000 jobs, far ahead of predictions of 177,000, the Labor Department said.