New Delhi, Sept. 6 -- The US Federal Reserve may face a tougher call on interest rates in September after a stronger-than-expected August jobs report eased concerns over a sharp deterioration in the labour market, though signs of underlying softness could keep the door open for policy easing later, ICICI Bank Research has said.

US non-farm payrolls increased by 162,000 in August, well above expectations of 55,000, with gains led by leisure and hospitality and local government education. The previous two months were also revised upwards by a combined 55,000, taking the three-month average to 71,000.

The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 per cent, while the labour force participation rate improved to 61.6 per cent from 61.4 per ...