The Fed reduced its rate last year to 4.3% from 5.3%, in part out of concern that the job market was weakening. Hiring had slowed in the summer and the unemployment rate ticked up, leading Fed officials to approve an outsized half-point cut in September. Yet hiring rebounded last month and the unemployment rate declined slightly, to a low 4.1%.
US stocks: US market ends lower as tech stocks weigh on sentiment
Wall Street ended lower on Friday, with AI chip stocks experiencing a significant downturn while Moderna and other healthcare companies surged. Investors are weighing the