The U.S. economy is expanding in a robust manner and it should be of little surprise that hiring is on a tear, averaging 831,000 new jobs over the past three months as the service sector continues to gain pace. … READ MORE >
unemployment
Initial jobless claims still elevated at 385,000 as the economy expands
First-time jobless claims decreased by 15,000 to 385,000 for the week ending July 31 while continuing claims for the week ending July 24 stands at 2.9 million, according to government data released Thursday. … READ MORE >
Jobs report preview: Education and service hiring to drive gains in July
We expect a net increase in total employment of 950,000 and a decline to 5.7% in the unemployment rate when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its jobs report on Friday. … READ MORE >
Jobless claims continue choppy descent
There remain 13.1 million people who are receiving some form of unemployment benefits. Of those, 3.2 million—or 25%—are receiving traditional unemployment benefits while 9.8 million—or 75%—are receiving some form of pandemic assistance set to expire on Sept. 5. … READ MORE >
GDP expands by 6.5% in second quarter as expansion takes hold
The composition of the growth was nothing short of virtuous. Household consumption rose by 11.8%, outlays on equipment grew by 13%, intellectual property by 10.8% and software investment increased by $13.8 billion – all of which helped drive the growth. … READ MORE >
Why the housing market is not in a bubble
Not only are inventories below their historical averages, but buyers are also more credit-worthy – two significant differences from the housing bubble of the years before the Great Recession. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims imply that ending benefits does not improve employment numbers
First-time claims inched higher by 2,000, to 373,000, for the week ending July 3 from an upwardly revised 371,000 for the week ending June 26, according to the Labor Department. … READ MORE >
June jobs report: Let the good times roll
The U.S. economy generated a robust 850,000 jobs in June while at the same time the unemployment rate advanced to 5.9% amid an increase of 151,602 workers in the labor force, according to government data released Friday. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims resume their downward trend, falling to 364,000
Initial jobless claims declined to 364,000 for the week ending June 26, resuming their downward trend following a few weeks of flat to down readings. … READ MORE >
Data deluge: Jobless claims ease to 411,000 as durable goods orders rise 1.1%
First-time jobless claims eased to 411,000 for the week ending June 19, a slight decline from the revised figure of 418,000 for the previous week, according to government data released on Thursday. … READ MORE >