03/28/2024

News

Labor Department’s seasonal job rejiggering doesn’t compute

The employment report for August was good — not great — but there were some strange numbers that President Trump should have someone keep an eye on. The puzzling figures have to do with seasonal adjustments — those yawn-inducing details that go into every government economic report. Bottom line: The Labor Department made major changes […]

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Consumer inflation climbs again in August, CPI shows, but pace of increase slows

The numbers: American families paid more for gas, rent and airfare in August, but upward pressure on consumer inflation eased for the first time in almost a year. The consumer price index rose by 0.2% in August to mark the fifth straight increase. Economists polled by MarketWatch had predicted a 0.3% gain.

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U.S. job openings climb to record 6.9 million

Job openings rose from 6.82 million in June, the government said Tuesday. About 5.68 million people were hired and 5.53 million lost their jobs in July. Such a high level of what economists call “churn” is common in the huge U.S. economy. The share of people who left jobs on their own, known as the […]

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U.S. Factory Sector Clocks Strongest Growth in 14 Years

American factory activity in August expanded at the strongest pace in more than 14 years, despite rising tensions with some of the U.S.’s largest trade partners. The Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday said its manufacturing index rose to 61.3 in August, the highest level since May 2004, from 58.1 in July. Sales of factory-made […]

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GDPNow

The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2018 is 4.7 percent on September 4, up from 4.1 percent on August 30. The nowcasts of third-quarter real consumer spending growth and third-quarter real private fixed investment growth increased from 3.0 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively, to […]

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U.S. Worker Productivity Rose in Spring at Best Pace Since 2015

U.S. worker productivity rose this spring at the best quarterly pace in more than three years, newly revised numbers confirmed, though growth from a year earlier was more subdued. The productivity of nonfarm workers, measured as the output of goods and services for each hour on the job, increased at an annualized and seasonally adjusted […]

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Core Inflation Hits Fed’s 2% Target as Spending Heats Up

A key measure of inflation accelerated last month to the fastest annual clip since 2012, as robust spending by consumers and businesses steadily pushed up prices for goods and services across the economy. The personal-consumption-expenditures price index, a broad inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in July from […]

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US consumer confidence rises to 18-year high

Americans’ consumer confidence rose in August to the highest level in nearly 18 years as their assessment of current conditions improved further and their expectations about the future rebounded. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 133.4 in August, up from a reading 127.9 in July. It was the highest […]

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U.S. GDP Growth Revised Up in Second Quarter

Economic growth was stronger during the second quarter than earlier estimated, although growth in a key measure of U.S. corporate profits moderated from the first quarter. Gross domestic product—the value of all goods and services produced across the economy—rose at a 4.2% annual rate in the second quarter, adjusted for seasonality and inflation, the Commerce […]

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Home Building Disappoints Again, Raising the Specter of a Cementing Trend

Home construction across the U.S. staged a modest rebound last month after a big June drop, but was weaker than Wall Street had expected, with many analysts taking a bleak view of the housing market. Housing starts grew 0.9% in July from the prior month, significantly weaker than the 8.3% bounce back economists surveyed by […]

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Retail Sales and Manufacturing Are Powering U.S. Growth This Summer

A surge in retail sales and rising manufacturing output suggest the U.S. economy’s strong growth in the second quarter continued into the third. Retail sales—a measure of spending at U.S. stores, websites and restaurants—rose a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in July from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That was well ahead of economists’ […]

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U.S. Worker Productivity Improves at Best Pace in Three Years

U.S. worker productivity accelerated this spring at the best pace in more than three years, a possible sign stronger business investment is giving workers the tools they need to boost output. The productivity of nonfarm workers, measured as the output of goods and services for each hour on the job, increased at an annualized and […]

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Chinese Reversing Big U.S. Real Estate Buying Spree That Had Helped Boost Prices

Chinese real-estate investors, facing pressure from Beijing, are reversing a yearslong buying spree in the U.S. where they often paid record prices for marquee properties like New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. Chinese insurers, conglomerates, and other investors have turned net sellers of U.S. commercial real estate for the first time in a decade. They have […]

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U.S. Economy Grew at 4.1% Rate in Second Quarter

The U.S. economy grew at the strongest pace in nearly four years during the second quarter, powered by a rebound in consumer spending, strong exports and firm business investment. Gross domestic product—the value of all goods and services produced across the economy—rose at a seasonally and inflation-adjusted annual rate of 4.1% from April through June, […]

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Manufacturing Sector Hits a Sweet Spot

The manufacturing sector staged a quick turnaround in June after a fire at the plant of a Ford pickup-truck supplier knocked output lower the previous month, extending a solid run of growth for U.S. industrial activity. The fire, which occurred May 2 at a parts plant in Michigan operated by a unit of China’s Wanfeng […]

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