US adds 209,000 jobs in June as hiring eases slightly

Published

2 years ago

July 13, 2023

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Hiring eased slightly in June as the US economy added 209,000 jobs, according to the US Labor Department.

The latest figures shown in the Bureau of Labor Statistics June report, released Friday, mark a decrease from the robust 339,000 jobs that were gained in May.

Unemployment was little changed month-over-month, from 3.6% from 3.7% — still slightly above the five-decade low of 3.4%.

Economists had forecast 240,000 new jobs in June with employment dropping to 3.6%, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Employment in state government increased the most, rising by 60,000 in June. Jobs in health care, social assistance, and construction also trended positively, the report showed.

Companies have not drastically slowed hiring despite the central bank’s efforts to fix the tight job market with 10 consecutive interest rate hikes before deciding to keep rates unchanged in June.

Federal Reserve staff reportedly wrestled with data showing job openings are plentiful before ultimately agreeing to hold interest rates steady, at 5% to 5.25%, in June as a way to buy time and assess whether further hikes would be needed.

However, the labor market’s ongoing strength fans fear that more aggressive hikes are pending as part of the central bank’s fastest monetary policy tightening campaign in more than 40 years to stamp out inflation — which still remains well above the Fed’s 2% goal.

Fed officials have said they think strong hiring can often fuel inflation if companies feel compelled to raise pay to attract and keep workers.

Thus, a slowdown in job growth and pay raises could help the Fed reach its 2% inflation target.

Inflation pressures continue to run high, and the process of getting inflation back down to 2% has a long way to go, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told a House committee last month.

We dont see any softening in the labor market, said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network. The Fed doesnt have to worry about the jobs market. When you look at their mandate, they have no reason not to keep hiking and to keep hiking for a while.

Before the federal government released the June report, Wall Street’s main indexes tumbled on Thursday in a broad selloff after the ADP National Employment report showed that private payrolls increased more than expected in June.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had plummeted 500 points earlier, fell 366.38 points, or 1.1%, to 33,922.26. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 each dropped 0.8%.

The ADP report, which is viewed as a proxy for US hiring activity, showed that the private sector added 497,000 jobs last month — massively above what the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.

Economists polled by Reuters, meanwhile, had forecast private payrolls were likely to increaseby 200,000jobs in June.

Politics

Who will be the UK’s next ambassador to the United States?

Published

1 hour ago

December 17, 2025

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Who will be the UK's next ambassador to the United States?

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈

It might be the last full day of business before parliament wraps up for Christmas but there is plenty on the menu for Sam and Anne to tackle.

The duo look at:

The man to beat in the race to become the next UK ambassador to the United States

Britain looking set to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange programme but how much will it cost the taxpayer?

Gossip and fallout from the Angela Rayner polling about how she’s perceived with Labour voters

UK

Teenage boy charged over murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe in Weston-super-Mare

Published

1 hour ago

December 17, 2025

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Teenage boy charged over murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe in Weston-super-Mare

A nine-year-old girl found dead in Weston-super-Mare has been named on the day police revealed a teenager had been charged with her murder.

Emergency services were called to Lime Close in the Somerset town at 6.09pm on Monday but Aria Thorpe was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said a 15-year-old boy had been charged with her murder and that a preliminary post-mortem found she died from a single stab wound.

The teenage boy – who can’t be named due to his age – will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court later today.

A police cordon remains in place as forensics officers continue their work.

Superintendent Jen Appleford, from Avon and Somerset Police, said the community was in shock and Aria’s family were being supported by police.

“It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them and we’d like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy,” she said.

Supt Appleford said police were working with local schools and other agencies to make sure support is available.

UK

Duke of Marlborough charged with strangulation offences

Published

1 hour ago

December 17, 2025

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Duke of Marlborough charged with strangulation offences

The Duke of Marlborough, formerly known as Jamie Blandford, has been charged with intentional strangulation.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, is accused of three offences between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said.

The 70-year-old has been summonsed to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, following his arrest in May last year.

The three charges of non-fatal intentional strangulation are alleged to have taken place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, against the same person.

Spencer-Churchill, known to his family as Jamie, is the 12th Duke of Marlborough and a member of one of Britain’s most aristocratic families.

He is well known to have battled with drug addiction in the past.

Spencer-Churchill inherited his dukedom in 2014, following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.

Prior to this, the twice-married Spencer-Churchill was the Marquess of Blandford, and also known as Jamie Blandford.

His ancestral family home is Sir Winston’s birthplace, the 300-year-old Blenheim Palace in Woodstock.

But the duke does not own the 18th century baroque palace – and has no role in the running of the residence and vast estate.

The palace is a Unesco World Heritage Site and a popular visitor attraction with parklands designed by “Capability” Brown.

In 1994, the late duke brought legal action to ensure his son and heir would not be able to take control of the family seat.

Blenheim is owned and managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.

A spokesperson for the foundation said: “Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation is aware legal proceedings have been brought against the Duke of Marlborough.

“The foundation is unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke’s personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings.

“The foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough, but by independent entities run by boards of trustees.”

The King hosted a reception at Blenheim Palace for European leaders in July last year, and the Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall, joined Spencer-Churchill for the reveal of a bust of Sir Winston in the Blenheim grounds in 2015.

The palace was also the scene of the theft of a £4.75m golden toilet in 2019 after thieves smashed their way into the palace during a heist.

The duke’s representatives have been approached for comment.