U.S. employment fell in September for the first time in seven years as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma delayed hiring and left displaced workers temporarily unemployed, the latest indication that the storms undercut economic activity in the third quarter.
U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in July and raised their wages – signs of labor market tightness that likely clears the way for the Federal Reserve to announce next month a plan to start shrinking its massive bond portfolio.
U.S. employers boosted hiring in November and the unemployment rate dropped to a more than nine-year low of 4.6 percent, making it almost certain that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates later this month.
