Employers add a solid 139,000 jobs in May, though hiring slows as some potential weaknesses appear

June 7, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers slowed hiring last month, but still added a solid 139,000 jobs amid uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s trade wars. Hiring fell from a revised 147,000 in April, the Department of Labor said Friday. The job gains last month were above the 130,000 that economists had forecast. Healthcare companies added 62,000 jobs and bars and restaurants 30,000. The federal government shed 22,000 jobs, however, the most since November 2020, as Trump’s job cuts and hiring freeze had an impact. And factories lost 8,000 jobs last month. Average hourly wages ...

U.S. stocks slip as Wall Street makes its final moves ahead of Friday’s jobs report

June 6, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted lower on Thursday as financial markets locked in their final moves before a highly anticipated update coming Friday about the U.S. job market. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% for its first drop in four days. After sprinting through May and rallying within a couple ...

Wall Street’s big rally stalls following some discouraging economic data

June 5, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s big recent rally lost some momentum on Wednesday following a pair of potentially discouraging reports on the economy. The S&P 500 finished the day virtually unchanged and remained 2.8% below its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 91 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.3%. The action was stronger in the bond market, where Treasury yields tumbled following the weaker-than-expected economic updates. One said that activity contracted for U.S. retailers, finance companies and other businesses in the services industries ...

Wall Street rises again as U.S. stocks pull closer to their records

June 4, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks pulled closer to their record on Tuesday as the wait continued for more updates on President Donald Trump’s tariffs and how much they’re affecting the economy. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, coming off a modest gain that added to its stellar May. It’s back within ...

Wall Street drifts higher as oil prices jump and U.S. manufacturing slumps

June 3, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted closer to their records on Monday, coming off their stellar May, which was Wall Street’s best month since 2023. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% after erasing an early loss from the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 35 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7%. Indexes had been down close to 1% in the morning following some discouraging updates on U.S. manufacturing. President Donald Trump has been warning that U.S. businesses and households could feel some pain as he tries to use tariffs to bring more manufacturing jobs ...

A global rally for stocks loses steam amid questions about what will happen to Trump’s tariffs

May 30, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — A big rally for stocks that began in Asia on Thursday lost steam after sweeping into Europe and the United States amid uncertainty about what will happen next after a U.S. court blocked many of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% after giving up more than half of an early gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 117 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%. It’s a downshift after stocks initially leaped nearly 2% in Tokyo and Seoul, where markets had the first chance to react to the ruling late Wednesday by the U.S. ...