Saudi Arabia to Continue Additional Voluntary Oil Cut

The Kingdom’s production in the month of December 2023 will be approximately 9 million barrels per day. SPA
The Kingdom’s production in the month of December 2023 will be approximately 9 million barrels per day. SPA
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Saudi Arabia to Continue Additional Voluntary Oil Cut

The Kingdom’s production in the month of December 2023 will be approximately 9 million barrels per day. SPA
The Kingdom’s production in the month of December 2023 will be approximately 9 million barrels per day. SPA

Saudi Arabia confirmed Sunday it would continue with its additional voluntary cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) translating into a production of around 9 million bpd for December, a source at the ministry of energy said in a statement.

"This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC+ countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets," the source was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Kingdom’s production in the month of December 2023 will be approximately 9 million barrels per day, said the source.

The source added that this voluntary cut decision will be reviewed next month to consider extending the cut, deepening the cut, or increasing production.



US Employers Added Solid 206,000 Jobs in June

The government also sharply revised down its estimate of job growth for April and May by a combined 111,000.  (Reuters pic)
The government also sharply revised down its estimate of job growth for April and May by a combined 111,000. (Reuters pic)
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US Employers Added Solid 206,000 Jobs in June

The government also sharply revised down its estimate of job growth for April and May by a combined 111,000.  (Reuters pic)
The government also sharply revised down its estimate of job growth for April and May by a combined 111,000. (Reuters pic)

US employers delivered another healthy month of hiring in June, adding 206,000 jobs and once again displaying the US economy’s ability to withstand high interest rates.

Last month’s job growth did mark a pullback from 218,000 in May. But it was still a solid gain, reflecting the resilience of America’s consumer-driven economy, which is slowing but still growing steadily.

Still, Friday’s report from the Labor Department contained several signs of a slowing job market. The unemployment rate ticked up from 4% to 4.1%, a still-low number but the highest rate since November 2021. The rate rose in large part because 277,000 people began looking for work in June, and not all of them found jobs right away.

The government also sharply revised down its estimate of job growth for April and May by a combined 111,000. And it said average hourly pay rose just 0.3% from May and 3.9% from June 2023. The year-over-year figure was the smallest such rise since June 2021 and will likely be welcomed by the Federal Reserve in its drive to fully conquer inflation. Most economists think the Fed will begin cutting its benchmark rate in September, and the details in Friday’s jobs report did nothing to counter that expectation.