Business Trends

26 percent of small business owners are still unsure if they will ever get back in business, according to a LendingTree survey  by Raymond J. Keating- If you’re a small business owner and feeling anxiety during these times of pandemic, stress and uncertainty, you are not alone. According to a LendingTree survey of small business […]

Personal and Disposable Income Rise by Raymond J. Keating- On May 29, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its personal income report for April, and the topline data require some explanation. First, personal consumption expenditures plummeted by 13.6 percent in April, which followed on a 6.9 percent drop in March. That’s not surprising given […]

by Raymond J. Keating- New orders for manufactured durable goods plunged in April for the second month in a row, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau. New orders dropped by 17.2 percent in April, and that followed on a decline of 16.6 percent in March. As noted in the following chart, […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The economic data continues to provide a grim reminder of just how bad our economy is right now. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its second estimate on first quarter 2020 gross domestic product (GDP). The decline in real GDP was further downgraded – from -4.8 percent to -5.0 percent. […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The need to proceed with re-opening the economy is clear, especially from the perspectives of small businesses and tens of millions of people without jobs. Consider, for example, that the U.S. Department of Labor has reported that initial unemployment claims came in at 2.44 million during the week ending May 16, […]

by Raymond J. Keating- In good and bad economic times, the prevailing national economic winds do not blow evenly. That goes for the current economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released data on state employment for April. The key question is: How bad have job losses been […]

by Raymond J. Keating- While the latest data on housing from the U.S. Census Bureau was predictably grim, housing is an area well worth watching in the coming months to gain a feel for just how deeply the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic might run. The Census Bureau reported that housing starts (annualized seasonally adjusted […]

by Raymond J. Keating- We keep making economic history, but none of it is good. The latest history-making release comes from the U.S. Census Bureau on retail sales for April 2020. Monthly retail and food services sales in April plunged by a record 16.4 percent, after a drop of 8.3 percent in March. With a […]

by Raymond J. Keating- Well, if you ever wondered what would happen to the general price level if large parts of the U.S. economy were shut down on purpose in a stunningly short time, the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the answer. After a decline of […]

by Raymond J. Keating- U.S. jobs evaporated during the month of April, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, self-employment took a major hit. Let’s consider some key points from the report: ● According to the establishment survey, nonfarm payroll employment declined by 20.5 million in April, after […]