July 2, 2026, 2:35 PM EDT. The US economy posted just 57,000 new jobs in June, falling short of the 114,000 expected, but the unemployment rate edged down to 4.2%, a touch lower than the 4.3% forecast. Traders pushed stocks higher on the number, betting the Fed could pause or cut rates and pump more liquidity. Economists flagged bigger-than-usual historical revisions, with May and April payroll numbers cut by 43,000 and 31,000. The labor market remains unpredictable. For now, softer jobs data looks like a win for equities.
