US markets end higher on strong jobs report

03 Jul 2020 Evaluate

The US markets ended higher on Thursday, with Nasdaq ending at a record, following the release of a closely watched Labor Department report showing another record spike in employment in the month of June. The report said non-farm payroll employment skyrocketed by 4.8 million jobs in June after soaring by an upwardly revised 2.7 million jobs in May. Street had expected employment to surge up by about 3.0 million jobs compared to the spike of 2.5 million jobs originally reported for the previous month. The Labor Department also said the unemployment rate dropped to 11.1 percent in June from 13.3 percent in May. The unemployment rate had been expected to dip to 12.3 percent. A separate Labor Department report showing first-time claims for US unemployment benefits fell by much less than expected in the week ended June 27th may. 

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims dropped to 1.427 million, a decrease of 55,000 from the previous week's revised level of 1.482 million. Street had expected jobless claims to tumble to 1.355 million from the 1.480 million originally reported for the previous week. The report also showed an increase in continuing claims, a reading on the number of people receiving ongoing unemployment assistance, which climbed by 59,000 to 19.290 million in the week ended June 20. However, upside remain capped  as the US saw 52,000 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, a new one-day record in the US, implying that the battle against the spread of the virus is far from over, which will make a V-shaped, or rapid and sharp, economic recovery nearly impossible.

Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 92.39 points or 0.36 percent to 25,827.36, Nasdaq rose 53 points or 0.52 percent 10,207.63 and S&P 500 was up by 14.15 points or 0.45 percent to 3,130.01.

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