The strength of the supply chain in the United States showed significant improvement for a second straight month in December after reaching a two-decade low in October, according to the newest data from the RSM US Supply Chain Index. … READ MORE >
Blog
How process intelligence can make insurers more efficient
Insurance companies have seen the shift to online self-service go mainstream over the last year and a half, and are now at a point where they must pivot if they want to meet the evolving demands of today’s customers. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Industrial production inched down in December
The omicron variant’s spread put pressure on industrial production in December as production declined by 0.1%, missing the estimate of a 0.2% increase on the month, according to data from the Federal Reserve on Friday. … READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of Jan. 10
This week we highlight a flood of studies and approvals with a focus on leveraging new technologies, data and gene sequencing to increase patient care. … READ MORE >
This week in energy: Global market turbulence, Canada’s oil outlook, energy transition
In this week’s energy industry analysis, we take a look at the energy market implications of unrest in Kazakhstan, a strong outlook for Canada’s 2022 oil production and the continued importance of environmental, social and governance issues in the energy transition. … READ MORE >
RSM US Financial Conditions Index: A move toward normal
After nearly two years of extreme accommodation in the financial markets, the RSM US Financial Conditions index eased to 0.96 standard deviations above neutral—a sign that markets are starting to price in more risk. … READ MORE >
U.S. retail sales decline despite a strong holiday season
Price pressures and continued labor shortages magnified by the rapid spread of the omicron variant drove retail sales down by a disappointing 1.9% in December. … READ MORE >
Americans’ real earnings are higher today than before the pandemic
Even as prices have soared in recent months, American workers are earning more than they did before the pandemic as the overall gains in their wages have outpaced inflation over the past two years. … READ MORE >
Initial U.S. jobless claims exceed pre-pandemic level as omicron variant sets in
New filings for jobless benefits last week rose to 230,000 from 207,000 in the prior week, exceeding the average pre-pandemic level for the first time in six weeks as the impact of the omicron variant began to be felt in the labor market. … READ MORE >
Changing work patterns in the middle market: An MMBI special report
COVID-19 has had a wide range of effects on how middle market businesses conduct operations. Although many of the innovations that companies instituted to deal with the pandemic were meant to be stop-gap measures, some of these initiatives are now here to stay. Read RSM’s new Middle Market Business Index special report on these issues. … READ MORE >