The US economy appears to be on a knife’s edge, and Friday’s jobs report will be the deciding factor as to the next direction.

The August jobs report came in weaker than expected. Employment growth by different industries showed a mixed bag for the U.S. economy. The growth was led by leisure and hospitality and health care and social assistance.

This particular August jobs report is among the most closely watched snap shots of the labor market since the coronavirus pandemic.

The economy is estimated to have created a solid 161,000 new jobs in August, up from a lackluster 114,000 in the prior month. If hiring actually rebounded and meets the Wall Street forecast, economists say the Fed would likely stick to a quarter-point reduction in its key U.S. interest rate at its Sept. 17-18 meeting.

Take a look at how various assets are performing after the August jobs report: U.S. stock indexes, the 10-year Treasury yield, Brent crude, gold and the dollar.

August jobs data fell short of expectations, but the Federal Reserve was hoping for a cooling in the jobs market as it seeks to rein in inflation, CNBC Senior Economics Reporter Steve Liesman reports.

U.S. job creation in August missed Wall Street expectations for the second straight month, according to new figures released by the Labor Department on Friday, giving more reason for the Federal Reser

Stephanie Ruhle analyzes the weaker-than-expected August jobs report, noting the slowing job growth but emphasizing that the economy remains strong. She also critiques Donald Trump's plan to use tariffs to fund childcare,