Market News and Education

U.S. Services Accelerate Without a Hiring Boom. An Uncomfortable Combination for the Fed

U.S. macroeconomic data released on September 3 showed stronger activity in the services sector alongside persistently weak hiring. Companies are laying off few workers, new orders are rising sharply, yet employment in services continues to contract. At the same time, firms are reporting the strongest input price pressures in nearly four years. For monetary policy, the key issue is therefore the divergence between demand, employment and prices.