Home Insights Macro views Labor market: Supply constraints potentially exacerbating demand softness
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After last week’s weaker-than-expected payrolls release, the Fed will likely lower policy rates at the next FOMC meeting in September. Although concerns over a slowdown in labor demand have gained traction inside the committee, labor supply constraints suggest that reduced hiring may not be that troubling, especially in a low-firing environment. Looking ahead, tighter immigration policies that constrain the workforce could potentially signal a new normal for payroll growth. Given the evolving labor market dynamics, investors should be cautious in interpreting weak payrolls as recessionary.

Recent signs of a cooling labor market have intensified debates around the health of the U.S. economy and the path of monetary policy. July’s weaker-than-expected jobs report elevated concerns and added to market volatility already heightened by tariff announcements. The odds of a September rate cut spiked, alongside uncertainty about whether the Fed is already behind the curve.

July’s headline payrolls miss wasn’t the only issue. Substantial downward revisions to May and June brought the three-month moving average down to just 35,000—a level that has historically been associated with unemployment and recession risk. The labor market story, however, is more complicated than that.

The marginal uptick in July’s still-low unemployment rate revealed an underlying labor supply issue also at play. For the first time since the pandemic, the foreign-born labor force contracted relative to the same period last year. This notable shift could signal a shrinking labor force, which may be contributing to labor demand softness. Therefore, weak payrolls might not reflect pure labor market deterioration, but also an economy that doesn’t need as many jobs to keep employment steady.

Going forward, tighter immigration policies may weigh on labor supply further, raising the likelihood of softer job growth. As such, investors should be wary of interpreting sub-70,000 payrolls as imminent recessionary signals given the conflict between labor demand softness and labor supply constraints.

For a deeper dive into the structural shifts reshaping the labor market—and what they mean for the Fed, read Risks of labor supply restraints and implications for the Fed.

Macro views
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