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Mixed Labor Market Signals Leave Traders Awaiting Key Inflation Data
Market participants continue to parse through conflicting employment data from November, as divergent signals from multiple labor market indicators have created uncertainty heading into next week's Federal Reserve policy meeting. The week's economic releases painted a contradictory picture of labor market health. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits delivered a decidedly positive surprise, coming in at a seasonally adjusted 191,000 for the week ending November 29, according to Thursday's Labor Department report. This represented a substantial decline of 27,000 from the prior week's revised level of 218,000 ... (full story)