Surprisingly Light Selling Given The Econ Data

Surprisingly Light Selling Given The Econ Data

Today's market reaction to the big beat in NFP (162k vs 56k) certainly stretches the paradigm of most market watchers who've been in the game for more than a few years, but this has been the reality over the past year or two. Relatively rapid changes in labor force trends (and ongoing changes in seasonal distortions) have made the job count a less precise measurement of labor market health than it once was. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has been far more insulated from that volatility (and far less prone to big beats/misses compared to NFP). This doesn't mean NFP doesn't matter. Clearly, it does. It just didn't hit bonds quite as hard as you might expect. Very early in the day, attention turned to the 3-day weekend and next week's inflation data. The modest increase in yields was an incidental byproduct.

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Surprisingly Light Selling Given the Economic Data

MBS & Treasury Markets
UMBS 5.5
98.84
-0.11 
10YR TREASURY
4.783
+0.014 
9/4/2026 3:55PM EST
The jobs count surged higher (162k vs 56k f'cast) in this morning's jobs report. While such wild divergences will have the masses crying foul, and while this is a large beat, it's not the first time that the headline job count has been this far off forecasts. This is especially understandable amid recent volatility in labor force composition. One minor saving grace is the steady unemployment rate, but unfortunately, the participation rate increased by 0.2%, which means the un...   READ MORE
Today's Mortgage Rates
30YR Fixed
6.89%
+0.01% 
15YR Fixed
6.49%
+0.01% 
9/4/2026
Mortgage rates have a long and storied past with the monthly jobs report. Officially titled "The Employment Situation," the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) jobs report has more power than any other monthly economic report to cause volatility in the rate market over the years. It may have lost some of that capability over the past few years, but it's always worthy of respect. With that in mind, it was an ominous sign for rates when this morning's jobs data came in MUCH st...   READ MORE
Economic Calendar
Time Event Period Actual Forecast Prior
Friday, Sep 04
8:30AM Aug Average earnings mm (%) Aug 0.3% 0.3% 0.1%
8:30AM Aug Non Farm Payrolls (k) Aug 162K 56K -23K
8:30AM Aug Unemployment rate mm (%) Aug 4.1% 4.1% 4.1%
8:30AM Aug Participation Rate Aug 61.6% 61.4%
Monday, Sep 07
12:00AM Labor Day