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US job openings unexpectedly rebounded in August as the labor market remains surprisingly resilient in the face of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest-rate hike campaign.

The Labor Department said Tuesday there were 9.6 million job openings in August, a marked increase from the revised 8.92 million openings reported the previous month.

Economists surveyed by Refinitiv expected a reading of 8.8 million. It marked the first time in three months that job listings trended higher.

The Federal Reserve closely watches these figures as it tries to gauge labor market tightness and wrestle inflation under control.

The higher-than-expected figure indicates that demand for employees still outpaces the supply of available workers.

The central bank has responded to the inflation crisis and the extremely tight labor market by raising interest rates at the fastest pace in decades.

Officials have so far approved 11 rate hikes, lifting the federal benchmark funds rate to the highest level since 2001. Policymakers have signaled that an additional rate hike is on the table this year if economic data points to a resurgence in price pressures.

The latest jobs data could give policymakers more space to hike rates higher and hold them at elevated levels for longer.

“Any wonder why the Fed expects to raise interest rates again?” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. “With 1.5 job openings for every unemployed worker, there is little evidence of substantial easing in labor market demand, a risk to getting inflation lower.”

The uptick in vacancies last month largely stemmed from professional and business services, finance and other services and nondurable goods manufacturing, according to the report.

Job openings remain historically high. Before the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, the highest on record was 7.6 million.

There are roughly 1.5 jobs per unemployed American.

“One of the top items the Fed wants to see is labor supply match labor demand, and the economy is not quite there yet,” said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial.

The number of Americans quitting their jobs, meanwhile, ticked higher to 3.6 million, or roughly 2.3% of the workforce, indicating that workers remain confident they can leave their jobs and find employment elsewhere.

Switching jobs has been a windfall for many workers over the past year: Job-switchers saw their real hourly wage increase 6.4% in July, compared with a 5.4% pay increase for workers who stayed in the same job, according to recent Atlanta Fed data.

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of two children in Stafford.

Police were called to a home on Corporation Street at around 7.30am on Sunday by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Two children were pronounced dead at the scene, Staffordshire Police said.

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said: “We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives.

“We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.

“We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community. We don’t believe there is wider threat to the public at this time.”

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The 43-year-old woman, who is from the Stafford area, remains in custody.

The force has not confirmed the ages of the two children. Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers, police said.

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Science

Engineers Develop Predictive Battery Tool to End Range Anxiety for Electric Vehicle Drivers

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UC Riverside engineers have built a “State of Mission” model that predicts whether electric vehicles or drones can complete planned routes using real-time battery and environmental data. The hybrid system combines physics-based and AI methods, reducing prediction errors and improving safety and reliability across energy applications

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Politics

Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

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Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

A man has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family.

Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton, south London, was arrested last Monday, but it was only made public on Sunday.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody, the Met Police said.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between June and October.

Sir Ed, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, lives in southwest London with his wife, Emily, their 17-year-old son John, and his younger sister Ellie.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife.

“He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 7 October and was remanded into custody. He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 14 October.

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“He was arrested on Monday, 6 October in relation to the offences, which are alleged to have taken place between June and October.”

A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “We cannot provide any details at this time, Ed’s number one priority is the safety of his family.”

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