KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) erased earlier gains to close marginally lower on Tuesday as mild bargain hunting activities were offset by cautious mode over ongoing global uncertainties. At 5 pm, the benchmark index slipped 0.24 of-a-point, or 0.02 per cent, to 1,443.56 from yesterday’s close of 1,443.80. The benchmark index opened 7.63 points firmer at 1,451.43 and climbed to as high as 1,454.58 in early trade before retreating to a low of 1,440.89 towards the end of the morning trading session. It then moved in a yo-yo mode during the afternoon session. In contrast, the broader market was positive with gainers outpacing decliners 669 to 367, while 419 counters were unchanged, 894 counters untraded, and nine others suspended. Turnover dwindled to 3.32 billion units valued at RM2.83 billion against 5.35 billion units valued at RM4.67 billion on Monday.
The U.S. labor market remains resilient heading into March’s employment report, but growing risks from tariffs, budget cuts, and policy uncertainty could tip the balance in the months ahead.
Where Things Stand
March is expected to show job gains of 128,000–140,000, down from February’s 151,000 but still solid.
Economists see a “holding pattern” forming, with enough momentum to keep the Fed on pause—for now.
As Oxford Economics’ Nancy Vanden Houten puts it: “The labor market is still fairly solid—especially in the private sector.”
“Anything above 100,000 is likely good enough for the Fed to stand pat.”— Andrew Husby, BNP Paribas
Policy Pressures Are Mounting
1. Tariff Uncertainty
Trump’s new tariff regime is creating business hesitation, especially on hiring and investment decisions.
Analysts compare the environment to early pandemic-era uncertainty: difficult to forecast and high-stakes.
2. Federal Workforce Reductions
Over 24,000 federal employees (mostly probationary) have already been laid off.
Legal pauses and deferred resignations complicate the March employment snapshot.
Swonk estimates 30,000 job losses, while Oxford expects closer to 10,000 in net declines.
Federal workers account for just 1.9% of the labor market—small direct impact, but amplified private sector spillover.
Private Sector: Mixed Signals
Layoff notices are up sharply, including:
WARN filings (+19% MoM in Feb, non-seasonally adjusted)
Announcements tracked by Challenger, Gray & Christmas
Yet hard data remains stable:
Jobless claims: 4-week avg at 224,000, unchanged since November
Layoff rate: flat at 1.1% (JOLTS)
Indeed job postings: muted but ticking upward
Risks Are Tilting Negative
Weak “soft data” (business confidence, sentiment) suggests downward pressure on hiring is building.
Private sector may soon follow if confidence and investment remain weak.
Structural risks—beyond tariffs—are beginning to overlap, including:
Contracting federal demand
Delayed hiring plans
Geopolitical volatility
“If the hard data starts to come through half as bad as the soft data looks right now... this would not suggest a small recession. This would be a large recession.”— Mike Madowitz, Roosevelt Institute
Key Takeaways
Labor market remains stable for now, but March could mark a turning point.
Tariffs and budget cuts are weighing on corporate sentiment and hiring confidence.
Watch for private sector spillover from federal layoffs in Q2.
Fed policy likely unchanged short-term, but market focus may shift quickly if hard data deteriorates.
Investors should monitor Friday’s BLS data, business hiring trends, and sector-specific employment reportsfor early signs of weakness.
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