US JOB GROWTH: PAYROLLS TO TOP 200K FOR 4TH MONTH

Payrolls in the world's largest economy are seen increasing by at least 200,000 for a fourth straight month

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Healthy US employment gains continued in March while wage growth moderated, indicating the nation's labor market is poised to keep stoking the economy with limited risk of an inflation resurgence.

Payrolls in the world's largest economy are seen increasing by at least 200,000 for a fourth straight month, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. Average hourly earnings are projected to climb 4.1 per cent from the same month last year, the smallest annual advance since mid-2021.

Resilient hiring is keeping demand and the economy moving forward at the same time inflation is slowing, albeit unevenly. It's also allowing Federal Reserve policymakers to hold off reducing interest rates as they await further declines in price pressures.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, on Wednesday, headlines a large cast of Fed policymakers who are due to speak this week. Among others appearing are John Williams, Adriana Kugler, Mary Daly, Austan Goolsbee, Lorie Logan and Thomas Barkin.

An increase in labor supply is helping to limit wage pressures that otherwise would risk filtering through to a sustained pickup in inflation.

Friday's payrolls report is also forecast to show the unemployment rate inched down to 3.8 per cent, just below a two-year high hit in February, suggesting the job market is losing a little momentum.

"The two major surveys used to create the jobs report appear to capture different aspects of the US economy. Spending on services by those benefiting from asset price appreciation - mostly baby boomers has supported employment in leisure and hospitality and health care.