The turmoil in global financial markets on Monday was long in coming but spurred by short-term pressures: the unwinding of the yen-based carry trade, where speculators and short-term investors borrow against the yen to purchase risk assets elsewhere. As these investors exited their positions in the ... READ MORE >
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5 things to know in life sciences: Week of July 29, 2024
Each week we highlight five things affecting the life sciences industry. Here's the latest. Parasite used to deliver drugs to the brain Researchers are exploring the Toxoplasma gondii parasite as a novel method to deliver drugs directly to the brain, leveraging the parasite's ability to cross the ... READ MORE >
Job creation slows in July as unemployment increases to 4.3%
U.S. job growth slowed at an accelerated pace in July as 114,000 jobs were added and the unemployment rate increased to 4.3%. The higher jobless rate was driven by the addition of 420,000 people who entered the workforce looking to capture rising wages. Average hourly earnings increased by 0.2% ... READ MORE >
Back-to-school outlook: Price sensitivity creates consumer spending shifts
In our second installment of our three-part blog series, RSM’s senior industry analyst explores back-to-school shopping trends and the impact on consumer businesses. Even as inflation has moderated, consumers have indicated price hikes and affordability constraints have remained important ... READ MORE >
Productivity continues to climb as investments take hold
The rebound of labor productivity in the second quarter is another sign of why the economy will continue to be on strong footing despite growing concerns over a labor market slowdown. The second quarter’s labor productivity growth was 2.3%, the Labor Department reported on Thursday. Not only did the ... READ MORE >
Fed holds rates steady as it sets up for September cut
The Federal Open Market Committee kept its federal funds policy rate between a range of 5.25% and 5.5% at its meeting Wednesday while signaling that it is moving toward easing its restrictive policy rate. We expect that the FOMC will reduce the policy rate by 25 basis points at its September ... READ MORE >
Job openings exceed forecasts as layoffs and quits reach multiyear lows
Job openings continued to point to strong labor demand, staying above forecast at 8.18 million in June. May’s number was also revised up to 8.23 million, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on Tuesday. The data supported our forecast of another strong month of job gains in July when ... READ MORE >
U.S. July employment report to show a gain of 200,000 jobs
Our provisional forecast for the July jobs report when it is released on Friday implies a net increase in total employment of 200,000 jobs with an easing in the unemployment rate from 4.1% to 4%. In addition, we forecast a 0.3% increase in average hourly earnings, which should translate to a 3.7% ... READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of July 22, 2024
Each week we highlight five things affecting the life sciences industry. Here's the latest. Extreme heat and its impact on medicines Extreme heat can affect the efficacy and safety of medicines, potentially causing them to degrade or lose potency if not stored properly, according to experts. ... READ MORE >
PCE inflation continues to ease in June as income and spending gain
The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation continued to ease in June, reaffirming that the central bank has achieved enough price stability to reduce its policy rate at its September meeting, which has been our baseline forecast for a number of months. Top-line inflation in the personal ... READ MORE >