May Nonfarm Payrolls Exceed Expectations but Growth Slows, Fed Rate Cut May Be Delayed

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Statistics released data on Friday showing that non-farm payrolls increased by 139,000 in May (revised down from 147,000), exceeding market expectations of 130,000. Employment growth continues to slow under the influence of trade policy uncertainty, with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.2% for the third consecutive month, which may provide the Federal Reserve with policy space to delay rate cuts. The U.S. economy needs to create about 100,000 jobs each month to keep up with the growth of the working-age population. As President Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants in his crackdown on immigration, this number may decrease. Most of this year's job growth reflects businesses hoarding workers amid Trump's indecision on tariffs, economists say, which hinders companies' ability to plan ahead. Opposition from hardline conservative Republicans in the U.S. Senate and Musk to Trump's tax and spending bill adds another layer of uncertainty for businesses. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers may keep the Federal Reserve in a wait-and-see mode until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Federal Reserve to keep the benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25%-4.50% range this month and to resume easing policies in September.