U.S. employment likely rose again in April, but a rush of job seekers into the labor market should keep wage gains moderate and buy a cautious Federal Reserve more time before raising interest rates again.
Nonfarm payrolls probably increased by 202,000 last month in U.S. Labor Department data due for publication on Friday, after growing by 215,000 in March, according to a Reuters survey of economists.
The unemployment rate is forecast to have held at 5.0 percent as improving labor market conditions lured some previously discouraged job seekers back into the workforce.
Job market strength would reinforce that view that the economy remains healthy, despite growth slowing sharply in the first quarter this year, but the influx of jobseekers may support Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's argument that there is still some slack in labor market.
Average hourly earnings are forecast to rise 0.3 percent in April after a similar gain in March. That would take the year-on-year increase to 2.4 percent from 2.3 percent in March, still below the 3.0 percent advance that economists say is needed for inflation to rise to the Fed's 2.0 percent target.
The labor force participation rate, or the share of working-age Americans who are employed or at least looking for a job, has increased 0.6 percentage points since dipping to 62.4 percent in September and gains have been across all age groups.
About 2.4 million people have entered or re-entered the job market since September last year, the second-largest increase in the labor force over a six-month period on record.
Anonymous attacks Greek Central Bank and vows to take down more banks' sites
Hacktivists affiliated with Anonymous successfully took down the Greek Central Bank's website. They said it was the first in a series of global central banks they plan to target over the course of the month.
Greece's central bank website momentarily crashed Tuesday. It was down for just a few minutes before the bank's security personnel were able to restore it.
In a YouTube video, the hackers said they are targeting the global financial system, which they labeled a "banking cartel" and a "tyrannical institution."
The group said the attack marks the start of a 30-day campaign to take down various central bank websites from around the world.
Greeks strike as new tax, pension reforms loom
Greeks started a 48-hour nationwide strike on Friday in anger at tax and pension reforms pursued by the indebted nation to qualify for more of a multi-billion euro bailout it signed up to last year.
Called by the largest private and public sector unions, the strike left ships docked at port, disrupted public transport and kept civil servants and journalists off the job.
Greece's largest labor union, the private sector GSEE, said the reforms, now pending approval in parliament, were the "last nail on the coffin" for workers and pensioners who have sacrificed enough after six years of austerity.
Oil prices fell on Friday, dragged down by a surging dollar.
Oil prices fell on Friday, dragged down by a surging dollar and sliding Chinese commodities which at least temporarily outweighed crude supply disruptions in Canada as a result of a massive wildfire threatening its huge oil sands operations.
The dollar firmed against the euro and yen on Friday ahead of the April US nonfarm payrolls due later in the day that could support the greenback.
International benchmark Brent crude futures were trading at $44.75 per barrel at 06.45 GMT, 26 cents below their last settlement. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $43.95, down 37 cents.
"Investors continued to liquidate (commodity) positions as the US dollar strengthened," ANZ bank said on Friday.
"While the wildfire in the oil-sands regions of Canada is still wreaking havoc with many producers, US oil output continues to feel the impact of low prices," ANZ said.
Reference: Reuters, CNN
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