An onslaught of economic indicators arrived this week. To summarize: higher interest rates and inflation appear to be weighing on manufacturing and construction, yet service sector activity remains fairly resilient. Financial markets were largely focused on signs that the labor market is starting to loosen. Notably, stocks rallied early in the week following a surprisingly sharp drop in job openings. According to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), the count of job openings plummeted by 1.1 million vacancies in August. The monthly decline was the sharpest drop since 2020 during the throes of the pandemic.
The JOLTS plunge will come as welcome news to the FOMC. Fed Chair Powell has frequently cited the high number of openings relative to the number of unemployed workers as indicative of a labor market that is too tight. August's plunge in openings is a sign that tighter monetary policy is starting to slow hiring, and possibly the inflation pressures stemming from rapid wage growth. The market reaction to the news was likely owed to the belief that a pivot towards less-hawkish monetary policy could be coming sooner than expected.
Given the steep drop in job openings, Friday’s employment report took on new significance. Payrolls rose by 263K jobs during September, a gain just a shade above market expectations. The monthly improvement reflects a slowing pace of job growth this year, however labor markets remain remarkably tight. The unemployment rate ticked back down to 3.5% during the month, matching a 50-year low. The dip in the jobless rate occurred alongside a solid rise in household employment and only mild decline in the labor force. The labor force participation rate, which is still hovering below prepandemic averages, inched down to 62.3%.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 23 December 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Dec 26, 2020
Vaccines are here, but they are not yet widely available in a way that can stem the spread of a disease that grows by 200K a day.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 10 March 2023
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Mar 14, 2023
Financial markets were looking for validation that January\'s unexpected strength was not a fluke and that the downward slide in economic momentum experienced late last year had stabilized.
Economic Uncertainty Seems Removed Going Into The New Year 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Dec 28, 2019
The U.S. economy continues to expand, albeit at a moderate pace. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.1 percent in Q3/19.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 17 March 2023
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Mar 21, 2023
Retail sales declined 0.4% during February, while industrial production was flat (0.0%). Housing starts and permits jumped 9.8% and 13.8%, respectively.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 20 September 2024
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Sep 24, 2024
The economic calendar was packed this week, but one event took center stage. At the conclusion of its September 17-18 meeting, the FOMC announced a 50 bps reduction in the federal funds rate to a target range of 4.75%-5.00% (chart).
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 21 August 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Aug 18, 2020
Despite indications of lost momentum elsewhere, residential construction activity is picking up steam.
25 January 2021 Economic Outlook Report
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jan 30, 2021
In the second installment of our series on economic risks in the foreseeable future, we analyze the potential for higher inflation in coming years stemming from excess demand.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 16 September 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Sep 20, 2022
Financial markets reacted in a zig-zag pattern to this week\'s economic data ahead of the next FOMC meeting. Price pressure is still not showing the sustained slowdown the Fed needs before it takes its foot off the throttle of tighter policy.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 18 November 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Nov 21, 2022
The resiliency of the U.S. consumer was also on display, as total retail sales increased a stronger-than-expected 1.3% in October, boosted, in part, by a 1.3% jump in motor vehicles & parts and a 4.1% rise at gasoline stations.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 04 March 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Mar 08, 2022
February\'s employment data showed the economy had strong momentum, but that seems pretty dated now with Russia\'s invasion of Ukraine and the Fed\'s shift to a more hawkish tone on monetary policy.
