U.S. employers added more jobs in June than the consensus forecast of economists while the unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%, suggesting the labor market remains strong. Nonfarm payrolls rose 372,000 last month following a revised 384,000 in May.
Financial market participants continued to assess the impact of higher energy prices and new inflation data on the economy and the future path of interest rates this week. US inflation data was worse than expected in May, hitting a 40-year high with broad based price increases for most goods and services.
The novel coronavirus pandemic that spread across the globe beginning in late 2019 and early 2020 presented nations with a crisis that threatened both the health of populations, as well as the vitality of national economies. As the pandemic spread, negative economic impacts resulting from pandemic mitigation measures were felt at a speed and scope not seen before.
