This is what a soft landing looks like. Through November this year, the American economy has produced nearly 2.6 million jobs as inflation has eased from 6.4% to 3.2%, all while the unemployment rate has remained below 4%. This is not a recession but instead is a sustained expansion amid labor ... READ MORE >
labor force participation rate
Where are we going to find the workers? A look at child care and the workforce
Recent changes in public policy are beginning to affect the domestic economy. One sign is the strong increase in manufacturing construction linked to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS and Science Act. But with the unemployment rate at 3.6% and the ... READ MORE >
The wealth effect and the Great Resignation
Three years after the pandemic upended the American economy, U.S. household balance sheets in general are in good shape. Assets far outstrip liabilities, with household net assets surging over the past decade to nearly $150 trillion last year. Underneath this strength, though, there is a ... READ MORE >
U.S. August jobs report: Another robust month as employment increases by 315,000
American labor market dynamics remain tilted toward sustained strength in hiring and rising wages. In August, U.S. total employment increased by 315,000 while the unemployment rate increased to 3.7% (3.65%). The labor force participation rate advanced to 62.4% on the back of 786,000 people ... READ MORE >
The pandemic and the vanishing American worker
This is the fourth article in a series examining the transformation of the American workforce during the pandemic. Part I looked at what is driving this change, Part II looked at the rise of $15 an hour as the de facto minimum wage in the private sector and Part III discussed the surge in new business ... READ MORE >
U.S. jobs report preview: Expect a gain of 475,000 in October
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 >