European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Europe’s job market has withstood the twin shocks of a once-in-a-generation inflation surge and a series of steep interest-rate increases, describing employment conditions as “surprisingly resilient.” The remarks suggest policymakers see limited evidence of the labour-market weakness that typically follows aggressive monetary tightening. Lagarde, speaking in recent media interviews, also stressed that central-bank independence remains “critically important,” cautioning that economies could become dysfunctional if governments interfere in setting borrowing costs. Her comments come as legislators across several euro-area countries debate the social impact of the ECB’s anti-inflation campaign. Separately, Governing Council member Martins Kazaks told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Jackson Hole meetings that current market expectations are broadly aligned with the ECB’s baseline outlook. He said officials must ensure inflation stays at target but indicated he does not foresee major revisions to the economic forecast and believes the euro-area economy is still “in a good place.”