Wall Street focuses on jobs this week, as the Labor Department releases its much-anticipated March jobs report. Investors are counting on a Goldilocks scenario—one where the job market is neither too hot (which would raise concerns about inflation) nor too cold (which would raise fears about the health of the economy).
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Monday, April 3:
MANUFACTURING INDEX: The Institute for Supply Management is scheduled to release the latest results of its closely followed manufacturing index, which gauges factory activity in the United States.
PENDING HOME SALES: The National Association of Realtors will release the latest results of its pending home sales index, which tracks the number of new contracts entered into for home sales in the past month.
Tuesday, April 4:
LAYOFF SURVEY: Wall Street always pays attention to how many new jobs the economy is creating. But of equal importance is how many existing jobs are being eliminated. This morning, the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas will reveal its tally of job cuts announced by corporate America last month.
Wednesday, April 5:
SERVICE ECONOMY: This morning, the Institute for Supply Management will release the latest results of its nonmanufacturing index, which tracks activity in the service sector.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Bed Bath & Beyond and Monsanto
Thursday, April 6:
EMPLOYMENT INDEX: The online recruitment firm Monster.com will release the latest results of its employment index, which gauges the health of the labor market by tracking trends in online recruitment activity.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Pier 1 Imports and Rite Aid
Friday, April 7:
JOBS REPORT: The Labor Department will announce how many new jobs the economy created last month. It will also update its assessment of the nation's unemployment rate. While many expect a healthy increase in new jobs—around 200,000—a bigger-than-expected jump in job creation would be likely to raise fears of inflation.
CONSUMER CREDIT: With consumer interest rates, including mortgage rates, on the rise, economists are paying close attention to the financial health of the consumer. Today, the Federal Reserve Board will unveil the latest trends in consumer borrowing.
