U.S. Job Growth Rebounds in August as Federal Reserve Weighs Interest Rates

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   According to the report, what exceeded economists’ expectations?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The unemployment rate
   2. The number of jobs added
   3. The July revision
   4. The inflation rate
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The number of jobs added

   The narration specifically identifies the number of jobs added as unexpectedly high.

   The U.S. labor market delivered a surprising rebound in August, adding 162,000 jobs—considerably more than economists had expected.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What remained stable during August?

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   1. Interest rates
   2. Global prices
   3. The unemployment rate
   4. Economists’ forecasts
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   Answer

   The unemployment rate

   The stated rate stayed at 4.1 percent throughout the reported period.

   The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, according to the report discussed by PBS NewsHour.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What did the upward revision make July appear to be?

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   1. Less economically relevant
   2. Stronger than previously estimated
   3. Unrelated to August’s results
   4. More vulnerable to inflation
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Stronger than previously estimated

   The revision changed the preceding month’s apparent strength relative to earlier estimates.

   In this case, the adjustment made the preceding month appear stronger than earlier estimates had indicated.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which information will Federal Reserve officials consider alongside employment data?

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   1. Only television commentary
   2. Information about economic conditions
   3. Only the July unemployment rate
   4. Predictions from one economist
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Information about economic conditions

   The recording states employment data form part of the broader information set available.

   The Federal Reserve is set to weigh interest rates, and employment data will be among the information available as officials assess economic conditions.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the recording say the August report cannot do by itself?

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   1. Describe August hiring
   2. Determine the Federal Reserve’s decision
   3. Mention July’s figures
   4. Support a resilience argument
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Determine the Federal Reserve’s decision

   The report explicitly limits its authority over both policy and broader economic debates.

   Nevertheless, the August report alone does not determine the Federal Reserve’s decision, nor does it settle the debate over inflation or global economic pressures.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Who discussed the figures with Roben Farzad?

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   1. A Labor Department analyst
   2. An unnamed economist
   3. Geoff Bennett
   4. A Federal Reserve official
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   Answer

   Geoff Bennett

   The recording identifies Geoff Bennett as Farzad’s discussion partner.

   PBS NewsHour’s Geoff Bennett discussed the figures with Roben Farzad, host of “Full Disclosure.”

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What did the conversation examine?

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   1. Why the job market remained resilient
   2. Why interest rates immediately fell
   3. How inflation was eliminated
   4. Why July’s figures were withdrawn
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Why the job market remained resilient

   Its stated focus was the labor market’s persistence despite surrounding economic challenges.

   Their conversation examined why the U.S. job market has remained resilient despite the challenges surrounding the economy.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What may happen to the data in the future?

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   1. They may be revised again.
   2. They will be permanently confirmed.
   3. They will be excluded from policy discussions.
   4. They will show unemployment doubled.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They may be revised again.

   The conclusion preserves uncertainty by noting that later revisions remain possible.

   The data may eventually be revised again, but the current report gives policymakers and the public a more encouraging snapshot of hiring than economists had anticipated.

What to review next

Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.

Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?

The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.