(Bloomberg) -- The recent hurricanes threw one last punch: a hit to U.S. employment.
The number of workers on U.S. payrolls declined last month for the first time since 2010, despite expectations that they'd rise by 80,000, Labor Department figures showed Friday. The reversal reflects the severe disruptions from hurricanes Harvey and Irma. At the same time, the jobless rate fell to a new 16-year low, while wage gains accelerated.
Here's how markets are responding.
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Treasuries
Bond buyers looked past the payroll decline and focused on the rise in average hourly earnings and higher participation rate.
Stocks
Investors in U.S. equities didn't love the report, as a rise in average hourly earnings could lead to higher labor costs for large companies.
Gold
The precious metal is taking a hit since the employment figures increase the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates.
Dollar
With higher wages kicking in, the dollar is continuing the rally that began when President Donald Trump released his new tax proposal.
To contact the reporter on this story: Julie Verhage in New York at jverhage2@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeremy Herron at jherron8@bloomberg.net, Eric J. Weiner, Andrew Dunn
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