The purchasing managers’ index for the service sector grew at a much slower rate in December as supply chain delays continued to put a drag on service activities, according to a report Thursday from the Institute for Supply Management. The slower rate of growth will most likely persist given that the ... READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims remain below pandemic level despite seasonal uptick
New filings for unemployment insurance last week ticked up to 207,000 from 198,000, continuing to stay below the pre-pandemic level amid a tight labor market where businesses are holding onto their workers. The headline number for jobless claims has been below the 2019 average of 218,000 for the past ... READ MORE >
ADP jobs report: Service sector led an upside surprise in December
Private businesses in the United States added 807,000 jobs in December, the most since May, pointing to a stronger rebound of the labor market, according to a report from ADP on Wednesday. The increase, which handily beat estimates of about 410,000 new jobs, was broad-based, with the largest gains ... READ MORE >
Labor market tightened in November despite decline in job openings
Demand for labor declined slightly in November while the rate of people quitting their jobs returned to an all-time high, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday. Despite the decrease of about 529,000 job openings—a proxy for labor demand—the total number of vacancies ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Manufacturing sector grows at a slower pace
The manufacturing sector continued to grow in December, but at a slightly lower rate compared to November, according to data released by the Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday. The data, taken before the full effect of the omicron variant was felt, pointed to the same big picture of healthy ... READ MORE >
Consumer confidence surveys reflect a bifurcation of the nation’s economy
Recent readings of consumer confidence are revealing an increasingly bifurcated economy as households continue to grapple with the pandemic. The economy can be divided into two camps, the surveys show: one of scarcity where prices are rising and employment remains a challenge, and one of abundance ... READ MORE >
Consumer confidence improves despite concern over omicron variant and inflation
Consumer confidence advanced in December for the third month in a row, driven by a strong labor market and recovery in spending since September, despite risks from the omicron variant and inflation. The headline consumer confidence index rose by 3.9 points to 115.8 on the month, the largest ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Supply chain issues ease as demand-pull inflation rises
Estimates of logistics data in the RSM US Supply Chain Index, as seen in the index’s Nowcast, point to improved conditions in the U.S. supply chain heading into the end of the year. The demand-pull inflation—rising pricing pressure spurred by a shortage of supplies—that has altered at the Federal ... READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims remain below pre-pandemic level despite seasonal volatility
New filings for jobless benefits last week advanced to 206,000, remaining below the pre-pandemic level from 2019 after falling to a 52-year low the week before at an upwardly revised 188,000—which many attributed to the seasonal adjustments around the holidays. We expect the claims data to be highly ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Consumer sentiment improves slightly amid inflation
Consumer sentiment improved slightly in December, increasing from a decade low in November as concerns about gasoline and energy prices eased somewhat, according to the University of Michigan's consumer survey released on Friday. The headline consumer sentiment index rose to 70.4 on the month from 67.4 ... READ MORE >