We enter the September 8 week with stronger U.S. hiring and borrowing costs still elevated. August payrolls rose by 162,000, while the latest weekly mortgage average reached 6.71%. In the Dominican Republic, annual inflation eased to 5.13%. This week brings U.S. producer and consumer price reports, which will help clarify whether price pressures are easing alongside continued employment growth.
01 · U.S. ECONOMY
August hiring rebounds; unemployment holds at 4.1%
U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, with unemployment unchanged at 4.1%. Revisions raised combined June and July payroll gains by 55,000. Average hourly earnings increased 0.3% over the month and 3.1% over the year.
Freddie Mac’s September 3 survey put the average 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.71%, up from 6.66% the prior week. The 15-year average rose to 6.04% from 5.98%. These are national weekly averages, not individual loan quotes.
The central bank reported a 0.38% monthly CPI increase in August. Annual headline inflation declined to 5.13%, while annual core inflation eased to 4.76%. Headline inflation remained slightly above the 3%–5% target range; core inflation was inside it.
The BLS calendar lists August producer prices for Thursday, September 10, and August consumer prices and real earnings for Friday, September 11, all at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Employer compensation costs for June are due Wednesday, September 9, at 10 a.m. Eastern. These are scheduled releases, not reported results.