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%.
Global Markets | European shares fall again as Mideast war drags on
European shares extended their decline on Tuesday, mirroring a global equity selloff as investors grappled with the prospect of a prolonged Middle East conflict. A
March 3, 2026