The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has just released the August jobs report with surprising figures: nonfarm payrolls (NFP) rose sharply by 162,000 jobs, far above the forecast of 56,000. Data for the previous two months was also revised up by a total of 55,000 jobs (July from -23,000 to +21,000). Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1%, while average hourly earnings rose 0.3% month over month and 3.1% year over year.
This unexpectedly strong labor data has upended market expectations for an early monetary easing cycle. The U.S. economy continues to show considerable resilience, prompting investors to quickly increase bets that the Fed may continue to maintain a hawkish stance or even raise interest rates at its September meeting.
The immediate reaction in traditional financial markets was very strong. The USD Index (DXY) jumped 34 points to 99.36, putting direct pressure on safe-haven assets and commodities. Spot gold immediately fell more than $70 per ounce, losing the $4,400 per ounce level (equivalent to a 1.66% drop on the day), while silver also slid to $65.7 per ounce.
For the crypto market, the renewed strength of the USD along with expectations of persistently high interest rates will continue to tighten short-term liquidity. Speculative capital is likely to become more cautious, putting
$BTC and altcoins under correction pressure. Investors should patiently watch how key support levels react before allocating capital to the new trend. 📊
#nfp #fed #kinh_te_vi_mo