WASHINGTON — The U.S. jobs market ended 2019 on a sour note, with December’s payroll and wage growth missing expectations, according to Labor Department figures released Friday. Nonfarm payrolls increased by just 145,000 while the unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for job growth of 160,000. The […]
Tag: business news
CFOs say economy is going to slow, stock market overvalued
Chief financial officers at big U.S. companies entered 2020 on a cautious note, with almost all anticipating an economic slowdown against the backdrop of an overvalued stock market, according to a survey released Thursday. The Deloitte CFO Signals Survey showed that while the corporate leaders see the economy as “good,” they anticipate that before the […]
Weekly jobless claims
New applications for U.S. jobless benefits fell more than expected last week, but the labor market appears to be cooling, with the number of Americans on unemployment rolls surging to more than a 1-1/2-year high at the end of 2019. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 214,000 for the […]
Fed policy is in a ‘good place’ but will remain flexible
Richard Clarida Scott Mlyn | CNBC The Federal Reserve is in “a good place” with monetary policy but remains flexible both with interest rates and its operations to tame the overnight borrowing market known as repo, Vice Chairman Richard Clarida said Thursday. As the central bank embarks on a year during which it is not […]
possible inflation scare and democratic agenda
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks during a campaign event at NOAH’s Events Venue on December 30, 2019 in West Des Moines, Iowa. Joe Raedle | Getty Images J.P. Morgan’s private bank, which manages $2.2 trillion for wealthy clients, said a presidential victory from a radical leftist candidate is among the biggest threats […]
ADP Moody’s private payrolls December 2019 surge
Recruiters and job seekers are seen at a job fair. Rick Wilking | Reuters Private payroll growth ended 2019 on a strong note, with companies adding 202,000 positions in December in another sign of a healthy labor market, according to a report Wednesday from ADP and Moody’s Analytics. The total was well above the 150,000 […]
The big recession scare is over
The fourth-quarter growth scare is a thing of the past, as the U.S. economy looks set to close the books on 2019 with a solid rise. Manufacturing and trade reports Tuesday confirmed that GDP is on pace to rise more than 2% for the period. An Atlanta Fed gauge estimates the gain at 2.3%, better […]
Mortgage rates fall further as buyers rush into the first open houses
A real estate agent walks into a home for sale in Lancaster, Ohio. Ty Wright | Bloomberg | Getty Images The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell to the lowest level since October this week, at 3.69%, according to Mortgage News Daily. That has an already competitive housing market heating up even more. […]
US trade deficit at $43.09B in November, vs $43.6B estimate
The U.S. trade deficit fell more than expected in November ahead of negotiations with China that cooled the simmering tariff battle between the two sides. The shortfall in goods and services declined to $43.09 billion for the month, below the $43.6 estimate from economists surveyed by Dow Jones. That represented the lowest deficit since October […]
US consumer confidence December 2019
People shopping at a Costco store Scott McIntyre | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. consumer confidence dipped slightly in December, according to data released by The Conference Board on Tuesday. The metric came in at 126.5 for the month, down from 126.8 in November. Economists polled by Reuters expected a reading of 128.2 for December. […]
