The labor market is finally heating up after a yearslong freeze.

U.S. employers added 172,000 jobs in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, far surpassing expectations. March and April figures were also revised up, and unemployment remained stable at 4.3%. “Storm clouds still loom on the horizon with rising energy prices and uncertainty, but for now, the market is giving more reasons for optimism than alarm,” Glassdoor chief economist Daniel Zhao wrote. The report contributed to growing expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike by the end of the year.

But beyond the positive headline, economists say it’s becoming harder for recent grads and those who have been laid off to find work.

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Iran and Israel exchanged strikes in the biggest escalation between the two countries since the Iran War ceasefire went into effect in April.

Stocks plunged Friday amid a tech selloff, with the Nasdaq falling more than 4%, while bitcoin fell below $60,000 for the first time since late 2024.

Silver and gold tumbled to near their lowest prices of the year after Friday’s better-than-expected jobs report, though precious metals are still up significantly year-over-year. Analysts suggested the jobs data makes it unlikely the Federal Reserve will lower rates, with Bart Melek, global head of commodity strategy at TD Securities, noting the “implication for gold here is that the cost of carry is getting quite high.”

Wealth Entrepreneurship

Instead of chasing the familiar companies, Needham Funds’ portfolio manager John Barr invests in what he calls the “picks and........

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