Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar advanced on Friday following the release of the March nonfarm payrolls report by the Department of Labor. The data showed that the U.S. economy added 236,000 new jobs last month, roughly in line with expectations for 238,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate ticked lower to 3.5%, while the rate of increase in average hourly earnings for private employees slowed to 4.2%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note BX:TMUBMUSD10Y climbed 8.7 basis points to 3.372%, while the 2-year yield BX:TMUBMUSD02Y climbed 10.8 basis points to 3.916%. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index DXY, a gauge of the buck’s strength against a basket of rivals, gained 0.3% to 102.29. The data help justify a 25 basis-point hike by the Federal Reserve at the central bank’s upcoming meeting, according to Ian Lyngen, an interest-rate analyst for BMO Capital Markets. “Overall, the BLS offered an update on the employment situation that clears the way for the FOMC to hike another quarter-point in May in the event that next week’s CPI release dictates,” he said in commentary emailed to clients and reporters.
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