Month: December 2014

While many fret that wage growth is miniscule despite the sizable decline in the unemployment rate, the concern is misplaced. Since 1990, the inflation rate has rarely risen unless the unemployment rate has fallen below 5.5%. With the unemployment rate…

While total non-farm payroll employment is now at 139.7 million, substantially above the pre-recession peak of 138.4 million, full-time non-farm payroll employment is at just 119.6 million, 2.0 million below its pre-recession high. As a result, the number of persons…

Despite all the ads, hype and hoopla, November is only the 7th best shopping month of the year. December is far and away the best, with total spending 15% above the 10-year average monthly level. May is next at 4%…

At 458,000, October’s annualized new home sales were flat. In September they were 455,000 and in August a whopping 453,000. Worse, inventory actually inched up from 5.5 months to 5.6 months and actual sales in October were 37,000 up 1,000…