This Friday’s jobs report is among the most anticipated in recent memory, with many economists viewing it as a litmus test for the slumping labor market that will help set the path for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes in the near term.
A strong report Wednesday on service-sector activity and hiring in June has tilted the odds toward a substantial rebound in payroll growth after anemic showings in April and May. But some economists say a natural, longer-term slowdown in employment growth could temper last month’s gains.
