US Jobs Report and Inflation Data to Test Rate Hike Trajectory

The upcoming week will be crucial for investors as they await key reports on employment and inflation to gauge the trajectory of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

The monthly employment report, set to be released on October 2, will be closely watched as it is expected to show growth of 100,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.2%, according to a Reuters poll of economists.

Investors are scanning for implications for the Federal Reserve, which began raising interest rates this month to fight high inflation.

'When you step back and you look at what matters to the market right now, the Fed is front and center, interest rates are front and center,' said Jim Baird, chief investment officer with Plante Moran Financial Advisors.