S&P/ASX 200 rises following better-than-expected jobs report Companies S&P/ASX 200 rises following better-than-expected jobs report Brent crude futures fell 3.2% to US$66.49 per barrel on Wednesday on fears that rising inflation might lead the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. Gold prices hit a four-month high of US$1,889.75 on Wednesday. S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) has gained 0.80% to 6,987 by about 12.45 pm following the release of better-than-expected job numbers. Australia’s jobless rate declined from 5.6% to 5.5% in April, beating economists’ expectations, with the number of unemployed people falling by 33,000. The market was expecting the unemployment rate to remain steady at 5.6% and for 20,000 jobs to be added.