GBP/USD Forecast: Pound Surges Against Dollar as US Jobs Slows Sharply

Modified: Friday, 1 August 2025 17:01 BST - Written by Ben Hughes

STORY LINK GBP/USD Forecast: Pound Surges Against Dollar as US Jobs Slows Sharply

The US Dollar dived after the latest US jobs data, and the Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate recovered from 10-week lows near 1.3140 to just above the 1.3300 level in an immediate reaction.

Another important element, however, was a decline in equity markets and a weaker tone surrounding risk appetite with unease over US tariff developments amplifying the impact of the jobs shock.

Weaker risk appetite hampered the Pound in global markets and GBP/USD settled around 1.3265.

The latest US jobs data recorded an increase in July non-farm payrolls of 73,000 compared with market expectations of just over 100,000.

There were big revisions with the June increase downgraded to 14,000 from the provisional reading of 147,000.

For May and June, there was a huge downward revision of 258,000 jobs.

ING commented; “This puts a completely different light on what has been happening in the US economy post the 2 April 'Liberation Day' announcements.”


The latest ISM manufacturing business confidence data was also weaker than expected, increasing reservations over the outlook.

There has been a big shift in expectations surrounding Fed policy with markets now pricing in close to an 80% chance that rates will be cut at the September meeting compared with less than 40% ahead of the data which undermined the dollar.

Markets had been broadly unruffled by the latest tariff developments, but the payrolls revisions put a slightly different perspective on the outlook.

Trump pressure on Fed Chair Powell is also likely to intensify.

"The July employment report was a dud. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 73K in July, short of expectations and coming on the heels of sharp downward revisions to the prior two months" say economists at Wells Fargo.

"The unemployment rate rose to 4.2% from 4.1%, and the labor force participation rate ticked lower for the third straight month," added Sarah House, Senior Economist at Wells Fargo.

"Coming into today's report, our base case forecast was that the FOMC would cut the federal funds rate by 25 bps at its September, October and December meetings, with no additional rate cuts in 2026. Based on today's data, we are inclined to leave that projection unchanged for now."


The latest US jobs data delivered a stark reassessment of recent labour market strength.

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TAGS: Pound Dollar Forecasts