When the October U.S. employment report is released on Friday, a central area of focus will be on the potential return of women in their prime working years to the labor force as the delta variant fades, child care becomes more available, schools reopen and hiring accelerates. We expect that the ... READ MORE >
Delta variant
Manufacturing in Canada at seven-month high
Canada’s manufacturing output hit a seven-month high in October as domestic and international demand remained strong despite persistent bottlenecks in the global supply chains. The IHS Markit Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 57.7 on the month, up from 57.0 in September, marking ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Expansion hits headwinds
The recovery of the manufacturing sector in the United States remained intact in October, with expectations for the expansion to continue over the next six months. Surveys of manufacturing activity conducted by regional Federal Reserve banks reported increases in new orders despite backlogs, longer ... READ MORE >
Workers chart a different course as new business formations surge
This is the third article in a series examining the transformation of the American workforce during the pandemic. Part I looked at what is driving this change and Part II looked at the rise of $15 an hour as the de facto minimum wage in the private sector. One area of a dynamically changing domestic ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Wages grew fastest in 20 years
The tight labor market sent worker compensation growth in the third quarter to its highest level in 20 years, posting a 1.3% gain, according to Employment Cost Index data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. The Employment Cost Index is the Federal Reserve's top wage gauge, and is ... READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of October 25
This week we explore a nanotube sensor capable of detecting COVID-19 in five minutes. We also look at a new method that has the potential to improve gene editing systems, a new blood screening test for detecting early stages of cancer, an artificial intelligence startup focused on improving new drug ... READ MORE >
FOMC preview: Tapering explained
Next week’s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee will focus on the Federal Reserve’s exit from its pandemic-era asset purchase program that has sent its balance sheet above $8.5 trillion. We expect that the Fed will announce plans to reduce its monthly monetary accommodation of $140 billion ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Pending home sales dipped in September
The pending home sales index fell by 2.3% to 116.7 in September after a strong gain of 8% in August, a sign of a modest pullback in home buying as some purchases are delayed until next year, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors on Thursday. But the market remains strong, and ... READ MORE >
GDP grows 2% as delta variant, supply chains and inflation take their toll
The delta variant, disruptions to global supply chains and inflation all took a powerful toll on U.S. gross domestic product in the third quarter as the pace of growth slowed to 2% from 6.7% in the prior quarter. On a year-ago basis, GDP increased by 4.9%, while on a nominal basis, GDP expanded at ... READ MORE >
Jobless claims hit pandemic low as labor market recovers
New filings for jobless claims dropped to another pandemic low last week as jobs remain plentiful while employers continue to compete for employees. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 281,000 for the week ending Oct. 23, according to government data released Thursday. The same figure ... READ MORE >