Non-Farm Payrolls

According to the government, 95,000 jobs were lost in September. Economists expected a net loss of 5,000. Mortgage rates are improving as a result of "the miss".

Wall Street liked the jobs report today and is bidding up stocks at the expense of bonds. Mortgage rates are rising. Rates are higher by 1/8 percent this morning.

No matter what you think about your mortgage qualifications -- too little equity, too little income, too big of a loan size -- take 5 minutes out of your day to call your loan officer. Find out whether you qualify for a mortgage at today's rates. Sure, rates may fall lower, but, then again, they might not.

No matter what you think about your mortgage qualifications -- too little equity, too little income, too big of a loan size -- take 5 minutes out of your day to call your loan officer. Find out whether you qualify for a mortgage at today's rates. Sure, rates may fall lower, but, then again, they might not.

No matter what you think about your mortgage qualifications -- too little equity, too little income, too big of a loan size -- take 5 minutes out of your day to call your loan officer. Find out whether you qualify for a mortgage at today's rates. Sure, rates may fall lower, but, then again, they might not.

The number of private-sector jobs created last month fell well short of expectations. Stock markets are off, bond markets are up, and mortgage rates are lower. If you've been shopping, it's a terrific day to lock a mortgage rate.

December's jobs report was released this morning. It showed 85,000 jobs lost last month and no change in the Unemployment Rate. For stock markets and out-for-work Americans, the figures are disappointing. But December's weak jobs data isn't universally awful. With the bad there comes some good. Mortgage rates are improving.

According to the government, the U.S. economy shed just 11,000 jobs in November, a 100,000 job improvement from October and the lowest tally since June 2007. Furthermore, the national Unemployment Rate dropped to 10.0 percent.

The data is building economic optimism on Wall Street, forcing a retracement of the flight-to-quality bets made since October. These safe-haven bond buys dropped rates to their lowest levels of all-time last week. This week, not so much.

Despite ongoing job losses and a rising Unemployment Rate, the jobs report reinforces the notion that the recession may be ending soon, if it hasn't already.

This 90-second video discusses gives some rate-locking strategies in advance of this Friday's jobs report. With the housing market seemingly on the mend and Wall Street cutting the week short because of Labor Day, national employment statistics are about to take center stage.