美国国家公共电台 NPR--U.S. jobs market is likely to be another bright spot in the economy this month

U.S. jobs market is likely to be another bright spot in the economy this month

Transcript¹

Economists³ believe the US job market remained tight in August, with unemployment hovering⁴ around 3.5 percent. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on the latest.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

As we head into the Labor⁵ Day weekend, a new report out this morning shows that the U.S. labor market is still going strong. Employers added another 315,000 jobs last month. So far this year, the economy has added more than 3 1/2 million jobs. NPR's Scott Horsley joins us now with details of the report. Good morning, Scott.

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE⁶: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: So you know this. The job market has been a real bright spot in the economy. How did it look in August? Put it in perspective.

HORSLEY: Yeah, it's still shining pretty bright. The U.S. has now replaced all the jobs that were lost during the pandemic. We saw solid gains this past month in retail⁷, in manufacturing, in business services, in health care. The leisure and hospitality sector⁸ did see a little bit of a slowdown in hiring - only 31,000 jobs added in that industry last month. And there was also a bit of a slowdown in construction, with just 16,000 jobs added. But overall, this was another really good month for hiring. And what's particularly encouraging is we saw a big influx⁹ of new workers in August. Nearly 800,000 people started working or looking for work during the month. And the share of the adult population that's in the workforce¹⁰ also rose, so that's a good sign to see.

MARTIN: So it's a good situation for workers. And yet we've been seeing big swings in the stock market in recent days, mostly in the downward direction. How does that jibe¹¹?

HORSLEY: Yeah, investors¹² are worried that there is a cloud behind this silver-line job market, and that is higher inflation and higher interest rates. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned a week ago in Jackson Hole, Wyo., that the central bank is going to raise interest rates and keep them up in order to get control over these very high prices we've seen. Powell acknowledged that's likely to cause some pain for both businesses and families. And one of the things he's been worried about is that even as the U.S. is adding a lot of jobs, the labor market has looked really lopsided.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JEROME POWELL: The labor market is particularly strong, but it is clearly out of balance, with demand for workers substantially exceeding the supply of available workers.

HORSLEY: The concern there is that a very tight job market could fuel additional demand, and that could push inflation even higher. However, Powell and his colleagues will be encouraged by that influx of new workers that shows up in today's report. The unemployment rate actually inched up last month to 3.7%, up from 3.5% in July. But unemployment rose for what we say is the right reason - that is, more people coming off the sidelines, joining the workforce. This is still a tight job market, but it's not quite as tight as it had been, and that could take a little bit of pressure off inflation.

MARTIN: What happens to wages in such a tight market?

HORSLEY: Wages are going up, but not as fast as prices, so workers are getting more money in their paychecks, but it's not stretching as far at the supermarket or when they have to pay the electric bill, for example. Average wages in August were up 5.2% from a year ago. That's the same annual increase as we saw the month before. Nela Richardson, who's chief economist² at the payroll¹³ processing company ADP, says it looks as though pay raises are starting to level off.

NELA RICHARDSON: We have seen this big jump now stabilize¹⁴. Wages have jumped up, but they have stabilized¹⁵. And so, depending on your view - half empty or half full - could be interpreted as good news for the future of inflation.

HORSLEY: The Federal Reserve is likely to be encouraged by that, and investors seem to like what they're seeing as well.

MARTIN: NPR's Scott Horsley, thanks.

HORSLEY: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

10 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

11 jibe   

v.嘲笑，与...一致，使转向；n.嘲笑，嘲弄

参考例句：

• Perhaps I should withdraw my jibe about hot air.或许我应当收回对热火朝天的嘲笑。
• What he says does not jibe with what others say.他所说的与其他人说的不一致。

12 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

13 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

14 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

15 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》