Fact of the Week

by Raymond J. Keating- Housing data tends to be volatile from month to month and frequently subject to substantial revisions. After big jumps in both housing starts and permits in August, the latest housing report from the U.S. Census Bureau showed declines in September. That being the case, it is worth noting that builder confidence […]

by Raymond J. Keating- When you look at the GDP data, the story with the consumer actually has been volatile of late. And the latest report from the Federal Reserve on consumer credit point, at least in part, to much the same thing. Over the last three quarters worth of GDP data, real personal consumption […]

by Raymond J. Keating- According to the latest state employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth in August was concentrated in just a few states. Specifically, five states had statistically significant gains in nonfarm payroll employment in August over July – Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia and Kansas – while one state […]

by Raymond J. Keating –  The durable goods report for July from the U.S. Census Bureau pointed to overall growth. However, there’s some sluggishness in a key measure of business investment. The topline number estimated that durable goods new orders in July grew by 2.1 in July, which was up from 1.8 percent in June […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The latest employment data on the states point to the nation being split on employment gains, but also with a distinct advantage existing for states with positive policy climates for entrepreneurship and investment. In its state employment and unemployment report for July 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that […]

by Raymond J. Keating- Assorted key economic data were released on August 15. And while labor productivity and retail sales were positive, industrial production (i.e., the real output of the manufacturing, mining, and electric and gas utilities) declined in July. According to the latest report on industrial production from the Federal Reserve, industrial production declined […]

by Raymond J. Keating- According to the latest consumer credit report from the Federal Reserve, revolving credit (mainly credit cards) declined in June at a seasonally-adjusted, annual rate of 0.1 percent. Overall consumer credit grew by 4.3 percent, with a 5.8 percent increase in nonrevolving credit (which includes “motor vehicle loans and all other loans […]

by Raymond J. Keating- If you look at the media headlines, or even what’s emphasized by assorted economists, the July jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics would be a middling affair. That is, the establishment survey pointed to a payrolls gain of 164,000. For good measure, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at […]

  by Raymond J. Keating- After declines in the two previous months and in three of the last four months, durable goods orders moved up in June, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Durable goods orders increased by 2 percent in June, which came after drop-offs of 2.3 percent in many […]

by Raymond J. Keating- After a weak stretch from August 2018 to February 2019, retail sales in June 2019 continued a recent streak of growth. As reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. retail and food services sales grew by 0.4 in June. That followed growth of 0.4 percent in both April and May, and […]