|

US: Coronavirus impact on the labour market

The weekly data published by the US Department of Labor (DoL) on March 26th revealed that the Initial Jobless Claims jumped to an all-time high of 3,283,000. Eren Sengezer from FXStreet analyzes the impact of Covid-19 on the US labour market.

Key quotes

“Wall Street's main indexes stretched higher to suggest that this reading had little to no impact on the market sentiment because of more people are now eligible to apply for unemployment insurance.” 

“People who are expected to be called back to work are counted as 'unemployed'. However, the BLS states that those who have no job and are not looking for one are counted as 'not in the labor force'.”

“The most likely scenario is that there will be a large drop in the Labor Force Participation Rate and a modest increase in the Unemployment Rate in the near term.”

“Since the Unemployment Rate is a lagging indicator, labor market data for April and May will paint a more accurate picture of the current situation.”

Author

More from FXStreet Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD keeps the rangebound trade near 1.1850

EUR/USD is still under pressure, drifting back towards the 1.1850 area as Monday’s session draws to a close. The modest decline in spot comes as the US Dollar picks up a bit of support, while thin liquidity and muted volatility, thanks to the US market holiday, are exaggerating price swings and keeping trading conditions choppy.
 

GBP/USD flirts with daily lows near 1.3630

GBP/USD has quickly given back Friday’s solid gains, turning lower at the start of the week and drifting back towards the 1.3630 area. The focus now shifts squarely to Tuesday’s UK labour market report, which is likely to keep the quid firmly in the spotlight and could set the tone for Cable’s next move.

Gold battle around $5,000 continues

Gold is giving back part of Friday’s sharp rebound, deflating below the key $5,000 mark per troy ounce as the new week gets underway. Modest gains in the US Dollar are keeping the metal in check, while thin trading conditions, due to the Presidents Day holiday in the US, are adding to the choppy and hesitant tone across markets.

AI Crypto Update: Bittensor eyes breakout as AI tokens falter 

The artificial intelligence (AI) cryptocurrency segment is witnessing heightened volatility, with top tokens such as Near Protocol (NEAR) struggling to gain traction amid the persistent decline in January and February.

The week ahead: Key inflation readings and why the AI trade could be overdone

It is likely to be a quiet start to the week, with US markets closed on Monday for Presidents Day. European markets are higher across the board and gold is clinging to the $5,000 level after the tamer than expected CPI report in the US reduced haven flows to precious metals.

XRP steadies in narrow range as fund inflows, futures interest rise

Ripple is trading in a narrow range between $1.45 (immediate support) and $1.50 (resistance) at the time of writing on Monday. The remittance token extended its recovery last week, peaking at $1.67 on Sunday from the weekly open at $1.43.