Jobs Report Signals Turning Point for Market and Economy

The March jobs report, set to be released on April 7, could be a turning point for the stock market. Since November, the jobs data has either sent stocks higher or lower until the following job report has been released. If the pattern persists, the data for March should suggest that the S&P 500 heads lower into the beginning of May. Analysts are looking for 240,000 new jobs created in March, down from 311,000 in February. The Fed has been working hard to balance the labor market, which means reducing and adjusting the number of job openings vs. the number of unemployed workers.