Strong jobs data set to spur Fed to trim bond portfolio

Washington

US employers hired more workers than expected in July and raised their wages, signs of labour market tightness that likely clears the way for the Federal Reserve to announce a plan to start shrinking its massive bond portfolio.

The Labor Department said that non-farm payrolls increased by 209,000 jobs last month amid broad-based gains. June's employment gain was revised up to 231,000 from the previously reported 222,000.

Average hourly earnings increased nine cents, or 0.3 per cent, in July after rising 0.2 per cent in June. That was the biggest rise in five months. On a year-on-year basis, wages increased 2.5 per cent for the fourth straight month.

"The Fed set a low bar for balance sheet normalisation to begin in September, and today's number cleared that bar with elan," said Michael Feroli,…