The Fed cut rates three times in late 2025 due to layoffs and unemployment concerns. December unemployment fell to 4.4%, reducing chance of further rate cuts this month. Weak job growth persists, but ...

The week’s most closely watched economic release was December’s jobs report. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000, slightly undershooting expectations for a 60,000 gain. Yet, the unemployment rate ...

An increasingly opaque US labor market is likely to keep the Federal Reserve from cutting benchmark interest rates until the summer, if officials even lower rates at all in 2026. In the near term, ...

Many Federal Reserve officials want to see inflation fall further before they would support additional interest rate cuts this year, particularly if the job market continues to stabilize, minutes of ...

Interest rates directly impact consumer borrowing and spending behavior. Lower rates make large purchases like homes and cars more affordable. Higher rates discourage spending by increasing borrowing ...