Demand for labor showed little change in September as job openings stayed at 10.4 million and the rate of people quitting their jobs reached an all-time high at 3.0%, according to new data on Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. … READ MORE >
Economics
Chart of the day: Jobless claims approach pre-pandemic level
Claims for jobless benefits continued to signal a steady bounce back of the labor market as new filings declined to a pandemic low of 267,000 for the week ending Nov. 6. … READ MORE >
U.S. inflation reached a three-decade high in October
Inflation continued to surge in October, mostly on the back of seasonal influences that boosted the cost of energy, transportation and food, and sending the consumer price index up by 6.2% on an annual basis, a three-decade high. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Producer prices rise as cost pressures mount
The producer price index inched up 0.6% in October with about a third of the increase coming from higher gasoline prices. … READ MORE >
As world moves to renewable energy, storage looms as a major hurdle
It’s little mystery that wind and solar power will be a significant part of the answer. Yet even as their costs of production have plummeted, storage capacity will stand in the way of their widespread adoption. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Pricing in the December debt cliff
Despite the recent legislative passage of a 10-year infrastructure investment plan, Congress and the Biden administration are no closer to an agreement on lifting the debt ceiling. … READ MORE >
Carbon pricing—in the spotlight at COP26—could mean big shifts for global trade
Though long touted by economists as the solution to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change, carbon pricing has for years been mostly abstract. Discussions at COP26, however, indicate the textbook solution might soon become a reality for more than a few select countries and industries. … READ MORE >
Canada employment steady as more sectors return to pre-pandemic levels
Canada’s economy continued its gradual recovery as the unemployment rate fell to 6.7% in October, the fifth month of decline in a row, according to data released Friday by Statistics Canada. … READ MORE >
U.S. October jobs report: Hiring booms as unemployment falls to 4.6%
The October U.S. employment report released on Friday showed an increase of 531,000 jobs and a decline of roughly 255,000 in the jobless rolls as the unemployment rate fell to 4.6%. … READ MORE >
Canada’s trade surplus widened amid microchip shortage
Canada’s merchandise trade balance had the fourth consecutive month of surplus in October as global supply chain bottlenecks debilitated the automotive industry. … READ MORE >