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

Trendingnow

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
FinanceEconomy

The stock market hates the fact it’s so easy for you to get a job right now. Here’s why

By
Colin Lodewick
Colin Lodewick
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Colin Lodewick
Colin Lodewick
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 5, 2022, 1:04 PM ET
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., on Monday, June 27, 2022.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., on Monday, June 27, 2022. Michael Nagle—Bloomberg/Getty Images

When news broke last month that the U.S. economy had shrunk for the second consecutive quarter, many doomsayers anticipated the official announcement of a recession to follow shortly after.

That announcement never came, however, proving that the process of identifying a recession is more complicated than relying on the commonly accepted two-quarter definition. But that hasn’t stopped the gloomy prognosticators from predicting a downturn. For example: the world’s richest man said this week, again, that a recession is coming soon.

Another thing that happened today that complicated the recession picture even more: the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the economy produced a ton of jobs last month, and that unemployment is down yet again.

But the good news for job-seekers wasn’t welcomed by Wall Street. Here’s how a glowing report for Main Street was bad news for Wall Street, the latest chapter in the eternal reminder that the stock market is not the economy.

Can job growth be bad?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its most recent jobs report Friday, showing that the U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in July, beating out analysts’ expectations of more moderate growth. At the same time, unemployment dropped to 3.5%—a level not seen since immediately before the pandemic.

But to Wall Street, robust job growth is a signal that the Federal Reserve has yet to adequately get record inflation under control, and signals there may be further interest rate increases this year.

“As [Federal Reserve] chairman Jerome Powell and his colleagues continue to judge the job market as hot, that stays on the side of the ledger compelling them to continue to raise interest rates,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate, in comments shared with Fortune.

Several major stock indexes promptly sank on the jobs news. The S&P 500 dropped 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite, whose stocks are more sensitive to interest rate increases, fell 0.2%. Stock futures also slipped with the report, indicating that investors expect prices to continue to fall.

There are other stress signals in the market. Ten-year U.S. government bond yields jumped to 2.85% with the announcement of the jobs report, after closing at 2.67% on Thursday. But yields on two-year bonds jumped higher, to 3.24% from 3.04%. That means that the yield curve, which is a line that plots the interest rates of government bonds, inverted even more than it already had, which is typically a signal of a recession. 

Other economists agree that the jobs report will likely be viewed as a cause for concern as it relates to inflation.

“What normally is good news for the economy, e.g., more people employed and earning a paycheck, has become a symbol of concern as inflation continues to remain above the Fed’s target,” said Eugenio Aleman, chief economist of financial firm Raymond James, in comments shared with Fortune. “This report is not good for markets because this means that the Fed will have to continue with its tightening campaign in order to slow down growth in employment and the economy.”

Inflation, which economists once hoped was transitory, has proven to be anything but. In June, it reached a four-decade high of 9.1%, with high prices spread across different consumer sectors.

As a result, the Fed has instituted several hikes to its baseline interest rate. The first, of 25 basis points, came in March, followed by a 50-point hike in May. In June and July, the bank instituted 75-basis-points hikes—its largest since 1994.The Federal Open Markets Committee, which convenes to enact monetary policy, does not meet in August, and would announce another potential hike in late September.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Colin Lodewick
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

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 Finance

Sam Bankman-Fried formally files for pardon—but White House reiterates that FTX cofounder’s odds are slim
CryptoSam Bankman-Fried
Sam Bankman-Fried formally files for pardon—but White House reiterates that FTX cofounder’s odds are slim
By Camila Grigera NaonJune 9, 2026
3 hours ago
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026
InvestingWall Street
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
By Eva RoytburgJune 9, 2026
3 hours ago
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
EnergyAutos
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
4 hours ago
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
EnergyBrainstorm Tech
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
By Jordan BlumJune 9, 2026
4 hours ago
President Donald Trump signing an executive order introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.
LawImmigration
Trump’s $100,000 visa fee is dead in one court and alive in another, setting up Supreme Court brawl
By Michael Casey and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
5 hours ago
U.S. President Donald Trump on Liberation Day.
EconomyChina
China’s exports to the US are surging at a pre-Liberation Day pace, defying Trump’s tariff goals
By Chan Ho-Him and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
1 day 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.