Jobs Surge, Inflation Lingers | Durham News

Durham News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 2, 2026 · 2m

The economy’s showing signs of life with a potential 100,000 new jobs in June, marking four straight months of solid hiring after a rough patch. Unemployment holds steady at 4.3%, while businesses seem more confident despite global headwinds and AI disruption. Job growth surged from 4K losses to 188K gains monthly between March and May. Yet inflation remains sticky at 4.2%, fueled by gas prices, squeezing household budgets. A strong labor market may help sustain spending, easing Fed pressure to hike rates—especially as gas prices dip. Notably, restaurant and local government jobs spiked last…