U.S. Jobs Data Comes In Above Expectations, Bitcoin Price Rises

The U.S. jobs data has come in above expectations, with the nonfarm payrolls and unemployment rate rising last month. This has sent mixed signals to market participants, with the Bitcoin price rising and sharply dropping amid the data release.

U.S. Jobs Data Sparks Bitcoin Price Reaction

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that the U.S. added 64,000 jobs in November, above expectations of 50,000. Meanwhile, the U.S. lost 105,000 jobs in October, down from the 119,000 jobs added in September.

The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% last month, the highest since September 2021 and above estimates of 4.5%. Notably, the Bitcoin price has sharply reacted on the back of the U.S. jobs data release.

TradingView data shows that BTC first surged above $87,000 before then pulling back to around $86,800. At press time, the flagship crypto is trading below just the psychological $87,000 level as market participants gauge what this data means for monetary policy.

The higher-than-expected nonfarm payrolls suggest that the labor market may be recovering, which is typically bearish for BTC and the broader crypto market. However, the rise in unemployment sends a different signal, suggesting that the labor market is still weakening.

Meanwhile, this U.S. jobs data marks the first major macro report since the Fed cut rates last week. Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested during the FOMC press conference that they may hold off on cutting rates for now.

The market will now turn its attention to the CPI data, which drops on December 18. The Fed remains divided on whether to prioritize the labor market or inflation, and this data will provide a clearer picture heading into the January FOMC meeting.