There was a slight improvement in consumer sentiment this month, as inflation’s heady pace ticked lower. But while the University of Michigan’s preliminary reading for the month showed the consumer sentiment index at 69, up from a final reading of 67.9 in August, expectations on...
Although jobless claims newly reported for the past week were only slightly higher, the psychological effect may be one where consumers are more cautious about spending. The U.S. Department of Labor said in a Thursday (Sept. 12) press release that the number of Americans who...
The pace of price increases overall is slowing. But the costs of some key essentials remain stubbornly high, and they ticked higher in August. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Wednesday (Sept. 11) that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 2.5% over August 2023 levels,...
The only question surrounding rate cuts from the Federal Reserve boils down to not “when?” but … “how much?” The central bank seems all but certain to tamp down interest rates, cutting the Fed Funds rate for the first time in almost exactly four years....
American household incomes increased 4% last year, the first significant increase since before the pandemic, according to the Census Bureau. The data showed that real median household income was $80,610 in 2023, compared to $77,540 in 2022, the bureau said in a Tuesday (Sept. 10)...
Mixed signals on the health of the U.S. labor market persisted Monday (Sept. 9) as The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI) showed reason for optimism after last week’s Bureau Of Labor Statistics report showed a disappointing jobs outlook. As reported Monday, The Conference Board...
On the face of it, the jobs report released Friday (Sep. 6) had some good news — at least for those looking for confirmation that the Federal Reserve will cut rates this month. Additionally, as a sign that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data was...
The labor market continued to cool in August, with job creation among private employers slowing for the fifth consecutive month and wage growth remaining flat. So said human resources (HR) and payroll solution provider ADP in the August ADP National Employment Report released Thursday (Sept....
The number of Federal Reserve districts reporting flat or declining economic activity rose from five in July to nine in August. Only three of the 12 districts reported slight growth in economic activity in August, The Federal Reserve said Wednesday (Sept. 4) in a national summary of...
