Kalshi Traders See Jobs Report Missing Wall Street Expectations

CNBC | June 29, 2026 at 03:34 PM UTC
Bearish 85% Confidence Majority Agreement
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Key Points

  • Kalshi traders see only 42% odds that nonfarm payrolls will surpass 125,000 jobs, well below the Dow Jones consensus forecast of 118,000
  • The unemployment rate is expected to hold at 4.3% with 71% probability of exceeding 4.2%, while hourly earnings are forecast to rise 3.5% year-over-year
  • Kalshi traders previously diverged from consensus on economic forecasts, assigning only 14.2% odds to 3% GDP growth after Treasury Secretary Bessent suggested it was achievable

AI Summary

Summary: Kalshi Traders Predict Jobs Report Will Miss Wall Street Forecasts

Kalshi prediction market traders are expressing skepticism about the upcoming jobs report, anticipating weaker results than Wall Street consensus estimates.

Key Forecast Discrepancies:

  • Dow Jones consensus expects 118,000 nonfarm payroll additions for the upcoming report
  • May's actual job growth totaled 172,000, more than double expectations at the time
  • Kalshi traders assign less than 60% probability that job growth will exceed 100,000
  • Only 42% of Kalshi traders believe payrolls will surpass 125,000

Unemployment Rate Outlook:

Traders show more alignment with Wall Street on unemployment:

  • 71% probability the unemployment rate will exceed 4.2%
  • 30% chance it will rise above the current 4.3% rate (matching Dow Jones consensus)

Wage Growth Expectations:

  • Hourly earnings projected to increase 3.5% year-over-year (vs. 3.4% in May)
  • Month-over-month earnings growth expected at 0.3%, consistent with May

Broader Economic Context:

Kalshi traders have demonstrated caution on other economic indicators. Following Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's statement about achieving 3% GDP growth, traders assigned only 14.2% odds of GDP reaching 2.6%-3%.

Market Implications:

The divergence between prediction market traders and traditional Wall Street forecasts suggests potential volatility when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the official report Thursday. A significant miss could impact Federal Reserve policy expectations and market sentiment, particularly regarding interest rate decisions.

*Note: CNBC has a commercial relationship with Kalshi, including customer acquisition and minority investment.*

Model Analysis Breakdown

Model Sentiment Confidence
GPT-5-mini Neutral 75%
Claude 4.5 Haiku Bearish 85%
Gemini 2.5 Flash Bearish 95%
Consensus Bearish 85%