Yello Paradisers! Just as crypto bulls were rehearsing their $100K chants, the US labor market decided to flex. Fresh jobless claims for the week ending November 29 came in at 191,000, smashing forecasts and marking the lowest level since 2022.

The report hit precisely at 8:30 AM ET, and while traders on X were split between “rocket emoji” euphoria and “wait and see” caution, the numbers delivered a clear message: the US jobs engine is still running hot.

Why Bitcoin Paused on the Way to Six Figures

Strong labor means sticky interest rates. And sticky rates mean less urgency for the Fed to turn on the liquidity tap. That is the playbook macro traders now have to wrestle with. Bitcoin had been dancing around $86,000 all week, with bulls hoping that soft jobs data would give the Fed a reason to ease. Instead, this report splashed cold water on the party.

MCP had flagged the importance of this report hours before the release, noting that previous surges toward key levels like $100K often began with weak macro signals. This time, the macro said “not yet.”

The Numbers That Matter Most

Initial jobless claims dropped by 27,000 from the previous week’s revised 218,000. Even the 4-week average declined to 214,750. Continued claims? Just 1.93 million, with the unemployment rate holding at 1.3 percent.

In a world where layoffs often precede liquidity pivots, this data looked more like resilience than recession. Even unadjusted claims fell by a staggering 49,419, more than double what seasonal models anticipated.

Powell’s Dilemma Just Got Messier

If you are Jerome Powell, this data makes your job harder. Inflation has been cooling, but the labor market is refusing to bend. Rate cuts require economic softness, and right now, the numbers are more firm than a leveraged trader’s stop-loss.

That does not mean easing is off the table. But it does mean that crypto bulls may need to recalibrate their timeline.

Where Traders Go From Here

Bitcoin continues to hold the $86,000 zone. MCP analysts are now watching for next week’s inflation data and the final FOMC meeting of the year to see if the path to easing stays intact. A surprise BOJ rate hike could throw more variables into the mix, as seen in recent months.

Want Real-Time Market Reactions?

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Inside ParadiseFamilyVIP, our PRO traders are already adjusting macro scenarios for the weeks ahead. If you want to follow what happens next with jobs data, inflation numbers, and BTC’s approach to six figures, now is the time to plug in.

Also, watch out for our next YouTube stream. We’ll break this data down further and map out the most likely crypto setups heading into mid-December.