Demand for labor declined slightly in November while the rate of people quitting their jobs returned to an all-time high, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday. Despite the decrease of about 529,000 job openings—a proxy for labor demand—the total number of vacancies ... READ MORE >
Covid-19
Consumer confidence surveys reflect a bifurcation of the nation’s economy
Recent readings of consumer confidence are revealing an increasingly bifurcated economy as households continue to grapple with the pandemic. The economy can be divided into two camps, the surveys show: one of scarcity where prices are rising and employment remains a challenge, and one of abundance ... READ MORE >
Consumer confidence improves despite concern over omicron variant and inflation
Consumer confidence advanced in December for the third month in a row, driven by a strong labor market and recovery in spending since September, despite risks from the omicron variant and inflation. The headline consumer confidence index rose by 3.9 points to 115.8 on the month, the largest ... READ MORE >
Five things to know in life sciences: Week of Dec. 13
This week, Pfizer announced another major investment in manufacturing capacity in the United States. Its investment in a new facility is focused on tackling the unique challenges in manufacturing gene therapies. We also look at the possibility of replacing glasses with eye drops, crowdsourcing cancer ... READ MORE >
FOMC meeting: Setting the stage for three rate hikes in 2022
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday set the stage for multiple increases in the federal funds policy rate next year by accelerating the tapering of asset purchases to $30 billion per month, up from $15 billion. The tapering should be wrapped up by March. This provides increased flexibility for the ... READ MORE >
Five things that retail sales tell us about holiday shopping
Navigating the strong headwinds from the pandemic has not been easy for retailers this holiday season, but here are five things we have learned about their response as reflected in the November retail sales data released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday. Stockings are already full October and ... READ MORE >
Canada inflation steady at 4.7% amid high gasoline and food prices
Canada’s inflation in November remained at 4.7% on an annual basis, primarily because of increasing prices for gasoline, food and shelter, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday. From the previous month, consumer prices rose slightly, by 0.2%. Excluding food and energy, the ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Consumer sentiment improves slightly amid inflation
Consumer sentiment improved slightly in December, increasing from a decade low in November as concerns about gasoline and energy prices eased somewhat, according to the University of Michigan's consumer survey released on Friday. The headline consumer sentiment index rose to 70.4 on the month from 67.4 ... READ MORE >
Five things to know in life sciences: Week of Dec. 6
This week a new investment fund is starting that is focused on the modest goal of extending human life. We also look at new leadless pacemakers, using illustrated stories to make the complexity of clinical trials easier for patients to understand, and studying the common cold as a window into future ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: U.S. trade deficit improved significantly in October
The United States trade deficit posted a sharp decline in October to $67.1 billion from the record $81.4 billion in September, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday. The improvement was led by a surge in exports, which rose by $16.5 billion, or an 8.1% increase on the month, ... READ MORE >