The ADP report for private nonfarm employment in November posted a slightly lower gain than in October yet it still beat market expectations, a sign that the labor market is continuing to recover. The headline figure for net monthly change in U.S. payrolls eased to 534,000 on the month, down from ... READ MORE >
Coronavirus
Chart of the day: U.S. consumer confidence inches down
Consumer confidence inched down in November to 109.5, the lowest since March, as inflation continued to take its toll, according to a report from the Conference Board on Tuesday. Now, with the emergence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is not reflected in the November data, consumer ... READ MORE >
Canada’s GDP rose at 5.4% annual rate as economy reopened
Canada’s gross domestic product grew by a strong 5.4% in the third quarter on an annual basis and by 1.3% from the previous quarter as spending on in-person services rose, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday. Household spending on semi-durable goods and on services had the ... READ MORE >
Trade in 2022: Supply chain challenges and policy implications
Nearly two years after the pandemic shut down the global economy, policymakers are facing a new challenge as global supply chain bottlenecks push up inflation and hamper economic growth. How countries confront these disruptions will have a big impact on economic growth in the coming year. We expect ... READ MORE >
Pending home sales in October rebounded to highest in 2021
Pending home sales rebounded by 7.5% in October following a small decline of 2.4% in September, continuing their rise from a recent low in April, according to new data on Monday from the National Association of Realtors. The sharp increase in contract signings month-over-month pointed to housing demand ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: November was a good month
The RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index in November reached its highest level since the spring, indicating a sustained economic recovery should the health crisis not get in the way. Despite snarled global supply chains that have made obtaining goods challenging, the domestic manufacturing sector ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: A look at the strategic petroleum reserve
The price of crude oil was already dropping by the time the Biden administration announced the coordinated effort among allies to release crude oil from their reserves. With roughly 1.05 billion barrels in reserve, some of which are used to meet basic demand each year during hurricanes or other periods ... READ MORE >
The U.S. infrastructure package is a call to action for Canada
The infrastructure package recently signed into law in the United States will lead to increasing productivity and innovation, but it also has the potential to widen the gap between the U.S. and Canadian economies. The $1.2 trillion package not only highlights the relative lack of investment in ... READ MORE >
Personal spending and income rose in October, beating expectations
October's personal income and spending data released by the government on Wednesday gave more reasons to end the short Thanksgiving week on a good note. Personal income rose by 0.5% on the month, beating expectations of a 0.2% increase, while spending rose by a sharp 1.3% in October on a dollar basis. ... READ MORE >
Surprises in jobless claims and goods trade make up for decline in durable goods orders
Encouraging economic news came from the government's early release of data on Wednesday: Jobless claims dropped to 199,000 last week, the lowest since 1969, while the advance goods trade deficit narrowed significantly to $82.9 billion in October, led by a sharp rise in exports. The jobs data was a ... READ MORE >