U.S. Job Market Pushes Past Shocks and Strains

Article excerpt

U.S. employers added 172,000 jobs in May, continuing a robust hiring streak that has defied recession warnings and labor market doom. Yet the headline number masks a persistent squeeze: wage growth lags inflation, and consumers remain deeply pessimistic despite steady employment gains. The disconnect reveals a labor market under tension, companies still hiring aggressively even as workers feel poorer and anxiety about the economy deepens.