09/04/2026
🏡 Friday Mortgage Market Update
It was another interesting week for the bond market, and today’s jobs report added even more fuel to the fire.
💼 The August jobs report came in much stronger than expected. The economy added 162,000 jobs when economists were expecting around 56,000. Unemployment held at 4.1%.
📈 Why does that matter for mortgage rates?
A stronger job market gives the Federal Reserve less reason to cut rates and has increased expectations that the Fed could potentially raise rates at its September meeting.
That caused Treasury yields to move higher today, with the 10 year Treasury moving toward 4.8%. When investors demand higher yields on bonds, mortgage backed securities generally come under pressure as well, which can push mortgage pricing higher.
There are still plenty of other moving pieces, including inflation, government debt and geopolitical uncertainty.
The bottom line: Mortgage rates don’t simply move because the Fed changes its rate. They move based on what investors believe is coming next.
And this week, the market got a pretty big reminder that strong economic data can actually work against lower mortgage rates.
If you’re thinking about buying or refinancing, don’t try to time the market based on a headline. Let’s look at what the market means for your specific situation. 🏠