• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

2

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

1

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

2

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
LeadershipCommentary

Takeaways From a “Near-Perfect” Jobs Report

Alan Murray
By
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alan Murray
By
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 7, 2017, 8:12 AM ET
Job Growth Spurs Drop In Unemployment Rate To 4.7 Percent
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 10: A Now Hiring sign is seen as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nonfarm payrolls increased by 235,000 in February and the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in the first full month of President Donald Trump's term on March 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Joe Raedle Getty Images

Good morning,

A lot of annoying political analysis followed Friday’s jobs report. But if you strip away the spin, it was a good set of numbers – even “near perfect,” as Thomas Simons of Jeffries called it.

With the expansion entering its ninth year, and already the second longest on record, now’s the time to be looking for signs it is coming to an end. Friday’s report offered none. Job growth was solid, but not strong enough to spook the Fed. Wage growth picked up, but not enough to threaten inflation. Discouraged workers began making their way back into the job market, indicating that despite an unemployment rate of just 4.3%, there’s still some slack to fuel future growth. An important milestone was passed: the Hamilton Project calculated the U.S. job market has finally fully recovered from the Great Recession. And The Wall Street Journal calculated layoffs are at their lowest level in half a century.

Does President Trump deserve some credit? Yes, of course. Presidents usually get more credit – and blame – for the economy than they deserve. But Trump’s election clearly stirred animal spirits, helping drive the stock market to its record highs. And his campaign to roll back regulation certainly calmed business leaders, whose concerns over rising regulation was reaching fever pitch prior to the election. Ultimately, though, the Journal’s editorial board says it will be the fate of tax reform that will “make or break” the economic legacy of Trump’s first year.

Click here to subscribe to Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter of must-read business news.

By the way, here’s one more reason to be encouraged. Late cycle stock-market surges are usually driven by “dumb money” – i.e. small investors – pouring funds into the market at just the wrong time. But Jason Zweig reports small investors have pulled $17 billion out of U.S. stock mutual funds and exchange traded funds in the past month. That’s partly because so many American now own retirement funds that keep stock investments at a set percentage of total investments. So when stock prices rise, the funds sell stocks to “rebalance.” Zweig argues that makes the market less susceptible to bubbles than it was, say, in 1999.

So you can start the new week in comfort that — barring a war with North Korea, a trade war with China, a massive cyberterror attack, a conventional terror attack, a constitutional crisis, or any number of other circling black swans – the U.S. economy is in pretty good shape.

 

About the Author
Alan Murray
By Alan Murray
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Rosewood Hotel Group institutes a global 16-week paid parental leave policy as Asia grapples with falling birth rates
AsiaHong Kong
Rosewood Hotel Group institutes a global 16-week paid parental leave policy as Asia grapples with falling birth rates
By Nicholas GordonMay 25, 2026
8 hours ago
Simon Sinek says the most successful people in the world ‘hit zero’ or came close to it: Failure is ‘the gift’
Successmanagement advice
Simon Sinek says the most successful people in the world ‘hit zero’ or came close to it: Failure is ‘the gift’
By Sydney LakeMay 25, 2026
17 hours ago
mollick
Economydisruption
‘Nobody knows anything’ and ‘this time is different’: the phrases that define — and haunt — the AI economy
By Nick LichtenbergMay 25, 2026
17 hours ago
Forget quiet quitting—4 in 10 millennials are taking ‘quiet vacations’ and checking out of work (and the country) on company dime instead
SuccessMillennials
Forget quiet quitting—4 in 10 millennials are taking ‘quiet vacations’ and checking out of work (and the country) on company dime instead
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 25, 2026
17 hours ago
Kevin O'Leary gestures while testifying before Congress
Successwork culture
Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary blasts the 4-day week as the ‘stupidest idea’ because the digital economy means we’re always working
By Preston ForeMay 25, 2026
17 hours ago
Becky Schmitt, the chief people officer of PepsiCo
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
PepsiCo CPO says their ‘secret sauce’ to hiring top talent is that they all have hustle—And are agile and curious in the AI era
By Emma BurleighMay 25, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Economy
The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
By Nick LichtenbergMay 25, 2026
21 hours ago
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
Travel & Leisure
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
By Catherina GioinoMay 25, 2026
17 hours ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
Investing
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
By Eva RoytburgMay 25, 2026
16 hours ago
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 25, 2026
17 hours ago
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Lifestyle
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
By Sasha RogelbergMay 24, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.