The US labor market is not at the pre-pandemic levels yet, but the Labor Department's latest report showed an improvement.
Last week, 684K people filed for the first time for unemployment, the numbers topping the 727K figure expected by the market. The figures dropped to a one-year low, hinting at an economy on the verge of solid growth. Ohio reported the most significant drop in the number of claims.
Following the news, President Biden held his first press conference, stating that "There are still too many Americans out of work, too many families are hurting, and I still have a lot of work to do […] But I can say to you, the American people, help is here and hope is on the way."
Moreover, the warm weather, the $1.9 trillion stimulus and the increased vaccine rollouts are expected to add even more momentum.
After the news hit the wires, the US stocks went up, USA30 and USA500 closing 0.62% and 0.52% higher, respectively. At the same time, the Dollar Index reached its highest point in four months – 92.697.
Sources: forexfactory.com, reuters.com