Our index is showing that the level of risk priced into financial assets has been consistently lower than normal. … READ MORE >
Blog
As the delta variant spread, worried consumers went online to do their shopping
The strong retail sales figures for August were not only a welcome surprise for retailers after months of decline, but they also showed the enduring impact of the pandemic as consumers relied less on human contact and increasingly shopped at home. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Strong back-to-school retail sales may signal positive holiday season
In what retailers hope is a preview of the holiday shopping season, retail sales from the critical back-to-school month of August increased by 0.7% on the month. … READ MORE >
Canadian law firms are losing talent to more lucrative U.S. jobs. How can they stop the exodus?
The red-hot labor market for lawyers in the United States is magnetizing Canadian lawyers eager to join their American counterparts on the quest for lucrative wage increases at U.S. firms. Canadian firms, meanwhile, have been slower to react with widespread wage adjustments, but we expect that to change in the coming months. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims rise in the wake of Hurricane Ida
The economic impact of Hurricane Ida was evident in the most recent initial jobless claims data, which rose to 332,000 for the week ending Sept. 11. … READ MORE >
Government services executives highlight 5 trends from Q2
While government services contractors battle a tight labor market and continued supply chain disruptions, they are excited for what the future holds relating to infrastructure, artificial intelligence and zero-trust cybersecurity. … READ MORE >
Import prices dropped below expectation in August, but prices from Asia remained hot
The U.S. import price index decreased by 0.3% in August, the first decline since October 2020, following an upwardly revised 0.4% increase in July, while the core index, which excludes petroleum, fell by 0.1%. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Middle of the supply chain feels outsized impact of rising food costs
U.S. inflation came in below expectations, according to the latest CPI, however, it will be well into 2022 before consumers see this inflation slowdown in groceries and restaurant tickets. … READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of September 13
Each week we highlight five things you need to know in the life sciences industry. This week we explore promising developments in CRISPR genome editing, among other subjects. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Small business optimism inched up in August, yet hiring struggles remained
The small business optimism index increased slightly to 100.1 in August, rising by 0.4 points over July, as employers struggled to fill job openings. … READ MORE >