WSJ Economy

It’s a labor market unlike any other: Unemployment has drifted up, layoffs are low, hiring is slow, and the economy needs far fewer new jobs than it did before.

The U.S. job market blew past expectations again in April, buoyed by gains in industries including retail and transportation and warehousing. The unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 4.3%.

U.S. inflation will be the highlight of economic data during the week ahead as investors gauge the outlook for interest rates in the coming months.

Canadian employment fell for a third month this year in April even as more people were hunting for work, pushing the country’s jobless rate to its highest in six months.

A federal panel says the president didn’t meet the legal criteria to impose a 10% levy.

Consumer sentiment fell below the previous month’s record low as higher gasoline prices exacerbated shoppers’ concerns about the U.S. economy, according to the initial reading from the University of Michigan’s monthly survey.

The board of governors voted 3-2 to reduce the overnight interest-rate target by a quarter of a percentage point to 6.5%, a four-year low.

U.S. jobless claims rose last week but remained relatively low as employers held back from widespread layoffs despite economic uncertainty tied to the war in Iran.

The central bank noted uncertainties arising from the ongoing Middle East conflict, saying the economic impact will depend on how the situation develops.

Orders rose sharply in March, a signal of potential front-running to manage rising energy prices and supply disruptions that arose after the start of the war in Iran.

While real estate far from big cities is cheaper, filling up for long drives has become painful.

Solid data this week suggest the labor market is picking up. The real test will come with the April jobs report on Friday.

The president’s plan to raise tariffs on EU cars shows how little protection trade deals offer.

Eurozone wage growth is set to slow this year, despite the rise in energy prices that has accompanied the conflict in the Middle East, according to the European Central Bank.

Headline inflation rose 2.6% from a year earlier in April, the fastest pace since July 2024, underscoring the deepening effects of Middle East tensions and higher oil prices.

Canada for March recorded a merchandise-trade surplus of C$1.78 billion, the equivalent of about US$1.31 billion, Statistics Canada said.

The Institute for Supply Management’s purchasing managers index for services providers was 53.6, suggesting continued expansion, though price pressures from the war in Iran weighed on growth.

Hiring picked up in March, but the rate of job openings ticked down to 4.1%, emphasizing a continued stretch of relatively low dynamism in the market.

Sales of new single-family homes rose to 682,000 in March, from 635,000 in February. A consensus of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expected 660,000 sales in March.

U.S. imports rose faster than exports in March, pushing up the U.S. trade deficit, according to data published by the Commerce Department.