Head-Scratching Job Gains in January: Labor Market Remains Hot

February 3, 2023 | Author: Mallory Vachon, Ph.D., Sr. Economist The economy added an unexpected 517,000 jobs in January, completely smashing economists’ expectations of 187,000. January’s job gains are puzzling given the headlines and expectations of a slowdown in hiring. Not only is this well-above recent months’ job gains, but it’s the highest since JulyRead More

US Private Hiring Slows in May Amid Worker Shortage

June 2, 2022 Payroll services firm ADP's data could foreshadow weaker hiring last month in the U.S. economy. Agence France-Presse U.S. businesses slowed hiring in May, amid an ongoing struggle to find workers and high inflation, according to an industry survey Thursday. Payroll services firm ADP said private employment rose by 128,000 positions last month,Read More

Lockdown States Drag Down Overburdened Labor Market

By Petr Svab   April 6, 2022 Updated: April 6, 2022 Print News Analysis States that instituted more severe COVID-19 lockdowns have put a drag on recovery in a labor market desperate for hires. With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, millions of Americans left or were forced out of the labor pool due to fear of theRead More

US unemployment claims fall to 376,000, sixth straight drop

By PAUL WISEMANJune 11, 2021 WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the sixth straight week as the U.S. economy, held back for months by the coronavirus pandemic, reopens rapidly. Jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 376,000 from 385,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The numberRead More

Weekly jobless claims higher than expected despite signs of labor market improvement

PUBLISHED THU, APR 1 20218:30 AM Jeff Cox@JEFF.COX.7528@JEFFCOXCNBCCOM First-time claims for jobless benefits were higher than expected last week, with 719,000 more workers heading to the unemployment line, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The total compared with the 675,000 estimate from Dow Jones and was above last week’s downwardly revised 658,000. While the number ofRead More

Survey: 88% of Manufacturers Optimistic about 2021

The National Association of Manufacturers’ quarterly record of manufacturer optimism hit its highest point in two years. IW Staff MAR 09, 2021 Most U.S. manufacturers see clear skies ahead, according to a new survey released by the National Association of Manufacturers. A majority, 87.6% of 450 respondents, of small, medium and large businesses reported feelingRead More

Manufacturing in February: Rapid Growth Checked by Supply Hurdles

According to the ISM, U.S. industry is still bedeviled by supply inconsistencies despite growing production and demand. Data from the Institute for Supply Management show that the manufacturing sector grew in February at a faster rate than it had in January. The ISM’s Purchasing Manager’s Index hit 60.8, 2.1 points higher than January’s 58.7. ARead More

BLS Employment Situation Report: December 2020

Total nonfarm payroll employment in December declined by 140,000 in December, well below the consensus forecast of a job gain of 45,000. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.7 percent or 10.7 million unemployed persons. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted in today’s release that both unemployment measures are much lower than their AprilRead More

Economists Predict Sharp Slowdown Before Outlook Brightens Considerably

BY EMEL AKAN January 14, 2021 Updated: January 14, 2021 WASHINGTON—Economists are forecasting a strong recovery this year but warn of a sharp drop in economic activity in the first quarter before it builds momentum following the winter. The U.S. economy will grow at 3.9 percent over the four quarters of 2021, according to the latest estimates by theRead More

Jobless claims below 800,000 for third straight week (CNBC)

Released on November 5, 2020 Initial jobless claims totaled 751,000 last week, the third straight week that claims were below 800,000, CNBC reports. Claims have been trending down since late March but remain above pre-pandemic levels. “Bottom line, overall, the labor market continues to repair itself but the pace at which it is doing so isRead More