Jobs Report This Week Could Show Cooling Job Market, Testing Fed's Rate Hike Plans
• Labor market reports this week will indicate if employers are still hiring at a strong pace and keeping jobs plentiful • A hot job market could lead the Fed to keep interest rates high to avoid further wage inflation • Economists are watching for signs of increasing layoffs as high rates make borrowing harder for businesses • Friday's jobs report is expected to show 198,000 jobs added in February, fewer than January, signaling cooling hiring • Another hot report could lead the Fed to keep rates higher for longer; signs of weakness may prompt earlier rate cuts