Fact of the Week

by Raymond J. Keating- The mix of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) February jobs report was, well, mixed. First, the establishment survey showed a gain of only 20,000 in payrolls. That meant February took a breather from the strong payroll gains experienced in six of the previous nine months. Following revisions […]

by Raymond J. Keating- On February 21, the U.S. Census Bureau released its durable goods report for December. Durable goods orders in December increased by 1.2 percent. For the entire year, durable goods orders showed strength, with orders up by 8.1 percent in 2018 versus 2017. In December, big gains came on the transportation front […]

by Raymond J. Keating- On February 15, the Federal Reserve reported that industrial production – the output of the nation’s industrial sectors, i.e., manufacturing, mining and utilities – declined in January by 0.6 percent. Manufacturing output, which makes up about 75 percent of production, declined by 0.9 percent. The big negative was in motor vehicle […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on February 13th that the Consumer Price Index was unchanged in January. That is, CPI inflation was flat in January. In fact, inflation has been nonexistent for three straight months, i.e., 0 percent in each of the past three months. Over the past year, […]

Small Business Insider by Raymond J. Keating- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that in December 2018, job openings hit 7.3 million. That’s an all-time high for a data set that began in 2000. Also during December, hires registered 5.9 million, with separations (i.e., including quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations) coming […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The latest employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the jobs picture in the U.S. continues to be outstanding. First, nonfarm payrolls, based on the establishment survey, grew by a robust 304,000. Employment growth registered across many industries, including professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, construction, […]

The Tar Heel State Kicks Off the New Year (Again) with an Improved Business Environment   by Raymond J. Keating- Small Business Policy Index 2018: North Carolina ranked 17th among the 50 states. SBE Council’s “Small Business Policy Index 2018” ranks the 50 states according to 55 different policy measures, including a wide array of tax, […]

Small Business Insider by Raymond J. Keating- The latest consumer credit report from the Federal Reserve – combined with the role that personal consumption expenditures played in third quarter GDP growth – generally confirms that feelings of strong consumer confidence are being translated into actual consumer action. That’s not always the case. The Fed noted […]

    by Raymond J. Keating- When it comes to economic and income growth, productivity is a central issue. But productivity growth also had been rather abysmal from 2011 to 2017, with annual average growth registering 0.7 percent. Fortunately, according to the latest report on productivity from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. nonfarm […]

by Raymond J. Keating- Small Business Policy Index 2018: Nevada ranked best – number 1 – among the 50 states. SBE Council’s “Small Business Policy Index 2018” ranks the 50 states according to 55 different policy measures, including a wide array of tax, regulatory and government spending and performance measurements.  Small Business Tax Index 2017: […]