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Employment Extravaganza

06/08/2015

May’s employment data was excellent! Payrolls rose by 280,000, upward revisions were made to prior months, and because the labor force participation rate grew 0.1% for the second month in a row, the unemployment rate increase from 5.4% to 5.5%…

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Triple Triumph?

06/05/2015

The Friday File: While American Pharoah is a 3-5 favorite to win the Belmont Stakes and in the process be the first winner of the Triple Crown since 1978, he has a tough road. The Belmont is the longest race…

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Potential Problem

06/04/2015

Despite being about to begin the seventh year of an economic recovery, GDP growth has averaged a lackluster 2.2% the entire time, profoundly lower than in previous recoveries. The reason, a combination of slow labor force growth, primarily due to…

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Seasonal Shuffle

06/03/2015

After recording negative Q1 GDP growth for the third time in five years, the Commerce Department is convinced its seasonal adjustment factors are working poorly. Therefore, they will revise recent quarterly GDP growth numbers, but annual GDP growth will remain…

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Risings Rigs

06/02/2015

After topping out at almost 1,600 oil rigs back in October 2014, oil exploration plummeted along with rig counts, which now number just 646. That said, current week-to-week rig count declines are trivial, going from a peak weekly decline of…

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Grumpy Growth

06/01/2015

While Q1 GDP was revised down from +0.2% to -0.7% due to falling exports, rising imports, slower inventory growth, weak corporate spending on plant and intellectual property, and dismal spending on durable goods, residential construction activity was up a healthy…

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Holey Hay

05/29/2015

The Friday file: While thought since 1917 to result from carbon dioxide being released by bacteria, repeated CT scans of Swiss cheese during its entire 130 day ripening period convincingly show that its distinctive holes are a result of microscopically…

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Drachma Drama

05/28/2015

Despite harsh words and deadlines that are always missed, the EC/ECB/IMF and Greece will make a deal freeing up billions to save Greece from bankruptcy. Whatever temporary agreement is forged will look great on paper and allow everyone to save…

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Employment Energy

05/27/2015

Over the past year, the unemployment rate declined in every state but North Dakota, where it rose from a microscopic 2.7% to 3.1%, the second lowest rate in the nation, behind only Nebraska at 2.5%! DC has the highest unemployment…

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Foreign Funds

05/26/2015

$2 trillion in US corporate foreign earnings are overseas since repatriation would create huge tax liabilities. Obama wants to bring the money home by offering firms one-time corporate tax relief. Not likely. Republicans feel the proposed 14% rate on repatriated…

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