Key Points: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, rose 1.0% in the year that ended in July after a series of declines and a 0% reading in June. The 20-City Composite posted an increase of 0.1%, improving from a loss of […]

Key Points: In 2022, the U.S. poverty rate increased 4.6% from 2021 to 12.4% according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which looks at government programs and tax credits designed to help low-income families. This was the first increase in the poverty rate in 13 years. The poverty rate among children more than doubled from […]

Key Points: Unemployment rates rose in 10 states, fell in two states, and remained stable in 38 states and the District of Columbia in August. The U.S. unemployment rate rose unexpectedly to 3.8% in August. Two states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates above the U.S. average in August, 27 states were lower, […]

Key Points: Revisions to monthly job gains have erased 330K job gains in the first seven months of the year. Total jobs added from January to July were revised down from 2.1M to 1.7M, a 16.1% decline. June had the highest revision from 209K to just 105K, a nearly 50% decline. Before revisions, nonfarm payroll […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 187,000 in August and the unemployment rate rose to 3.8%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 170,000 jobs. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for June was revised down by 80,000, from +185,000 to +105,000, and the change for July was revised down by 30,000, […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work, but the margins are shrinking. Job openings fell by 338,000 to 8.8 million in July, far below consensus of 9.5 million. Job openings increased in information (+101,000) and in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+75,000). Job openings decreased in […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales fell 2.2% in July from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.07 million. Existing-home sales fell 16.6% from one year ago. The median existing-home sales price for July rose 1.9% from one year ago to $406,700. This is the fourth time the monthly median sales prices eclipsed $400,000, joining […]

Key Points: Unemployment rates fell in seven states, rose in three states, and remained stable in 40 states and the District of Columbia in July. The U.S. unemployment rate was little changed at 3.5% in July and the same as in July 2022. Three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates above the […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 187,000 in July and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.5%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 200,000 jobs. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for May was revised down by 25,000, from 306,000 to 281,000, and the change for June was revised down […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work. Job openings were little changed at 9.6 million in June. Job openings increased in health care and social assistance (+136,000) and in state and local government, excluding education (+62,000). Job openings decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-78,000), […]

Key Points: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, fell 0.5% in the year that ended in May, down further from the 0.1% decline in the previous month. Before seasonal adjustment, the U.S. National Index posted a 1.2% month-over-month increase in May, […]

Key Points: Unemployment rates fell in 11 states and remained stable in 39 states and the District of Columbia in June. The U.S. unemployment rate was little changed at 3.6% in June. Three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates above the U.S. average in June. Twenty-two states had jobless rate decreases from […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales fell 3.3% in June from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.16 million. Existing-home sales fell 18.9% from one year ago. At $410,200, the median existing-home sales price for June was the second-highest price ever recorded – since January 1999 when NAR began tracking the data – and 0.9% […]

Key Points: Violent crime has surged across the country since 2020. As of July 11, Washington DC has seen a 33% increase in violent crimes compared to the same time last year and a 30% increase in total crimes. Motor vehicle theft has surged 117%, with 3,785 incidents this year compared to 1,744 last year. […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 209,000 in June and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.6%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 225,000 jobs. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for April was revised down by 77,000, from 294,000 to 217,000, and the change for May was revised down […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work. Job openings fell by 496,000 to 9.8 million in May, offsetting an increase of the same magnitude in the prior month. In May, job openings decreased in health care and social assistance (-285,000), finance and insurance (-139,000), and […]

Key Points: On June 27th, Biden tweeted a comparison in the average monthly jobs gained under Presidential administrations dating back to Reagan. However, this does not account for the drastic change in employment under COVID and using the pre-COVID employment levels is a more accurate depiction of jobs gained by admin. Comparing employment levels in […]

Key Points: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, fell 0.2% in the year that ended in April, down from 0.7% increase in the previous month. Before seasonal adjustment, the U.S. National Index posted a 1.3% month-over-month increase in April, while the […]

Key Points: Unemployment rates fell in 11 states and remained stable in 39 states and the District of Columbia in May. The U.S. unemployment rate increased to 3.7% in May. Nine states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates above the U.S. average in May. Seventeen states had jobless rate decreases from a year […]

Key Points: Job openings rates fell in 15 states and increased in one state and the District of Columbia in March. The number of job openings decreased in 18 states, increased in 4 states and the District of Columbia, and was little changed in 28 states in March. The largest decreases in the job openings […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 339,000 in May and the unemployment rate rose to 3.7%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 190,000 jobs. Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult women (3.3%) and Blacks (5.6%) rose in May. Professional and business services added 64,000 jobs in May, government […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work. The tight labor market has pushed total job openings to nearly double the available workers, but hiring has slowed amid a broader economic slowdown. Job openings increased by 358,000 to 10.1 million in April, the highest since January […]

Key Points: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, rose 0.7% in the year that ended in March, down from 2.1% in the previous month. The National Home Price Index rose 0.4% in March from April for the second straight month on […]

Key Points: Unemployment rates fell in 14 states and remained stable in 36 states and the District of Columbia in April. The U.S. unemployment rate was little changed at 3.4% in April. Eight states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates above the U.S. average in April. South Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales fell 3.4% in April from March and 23.2% from one year ago. The median existing-home sales price decreased 1.7% from one year ago to $388,800. Existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 1.9% from March and 23.9% from April 2022. The median price in the Northeast was $422,700, up 2.8% from the […]

Key Points: Retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, rose 0.4% in April from March after last month was revised to a 0.7% decline. Consensus among economists was a 0.7% increase. Excluding autos, retail sales also rose by 0.4% over the month. Retail sales were 1.6% above April 2022 and total […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 253,000 in April as the unemployment rate fell to 3.4%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 179,000 jobs. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for February was revised down by 78,000 to 248,000, and the change for March was revised down by 71,000 to 165,000. […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work. The tight labor market has pushed total job openings to nearly double the available workers, but hiring has slowed amid a broader economic slowdown. Job openings fell by 384,000 to 9.6 million in March, the lowest since May […]

Economist Corner A recent report by Moody’s Analytics that the Budget now before the House would cost 780,000 jobs. These claims are flagrantly wrong and misleading. The economics behind them are highly dubious. For starters, the analysis reflects speculation about what Republicans will do, rather than the legislation put forward by Speaker McCarthy. “While not stipulated in […]

Key Points: Unemployment rates fell in 18 states, rose in the District of Columbia, and remained stable in 32 states in March. The U.S. unemployment rate was little changed at 3.5% in March. Nine states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates above the U.S. average in March. South Dakota had the lowest unemployment […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales fell 2.4% in March from February and 22.0% from one year ago. The median existing-home sales price decreased 0.9% from one year ago to $375,700, the largest decline in 11 years. Existing-home sales in the Northeast were unchanged from February, but down 21.2% from March 2022. The median price in the […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales fell 2.4% in March from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.44 million. Consensus among economists was a 1.5% increase. Existing-home sales fell 22.0% from one year ago. The median existing-home sales price decreased 0.9% from one year ago to $375,700. First-time buyers were responsible for 28% of sales […]

Key Points U.S. builders remained cautiously optimistic in April as limited resale inventory helped to increase demand in the new home market even as the industry continues to grapple with building material issues. The NAHB Housing Market index rose one point to a reading of 45 this month from 44 in March. The HMI index […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 236,000 in March as the unemployment rate changed little at 3.5%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 240,000 jobs. In March, the unemployed population dipped to 5.8 million but job openings fell to 9.9 million in February. Leisure and hospitality added 72,000 jobs in March, government […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work. The tight labor market has pushed total job openings to nearly double the available workers this year, but hiring has slowed amid a broader economic slowdown. Job openings fell by 632,000 to 9.9 million in February after January […]

Key Points: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, rose 3.8% in the year that ended in January, down from 5.6% in the previous month. This is the seventh straight month home prices have fallen. The 20-City Composite posted a 2.5% year-over-year […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales rose 14.5% in February from March, breaking the twelve-month streak of declining sales. Consensus among economists was a 0.7% decline. Existing-home sales fell 22.6% from one year ago. The median existing-home sales price decreased 0.2% from one year ago to $363,000, the first decline in more than a decade and breaking […]

Key Points: Retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, fell 0.4% in February from January after rising 3.2% last month. Consensus among economists was a 0.3% decline. February’s decrease comes after the largest monthly gain in nearly two years in January, following two consecutive months of declines. Excluding autos, retail sales […]

Key Points: Unemployment rates fell in 5 states, rose in 2 states and the District of Columbia, and remained stable in 43 states in January. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.4% in January but rose to 3.6% in February. 11 states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates above the U.S. average in […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 311,000 in February as the unemployment rate rose to 3.6%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 205,000 jobs. In February, the unemployed population rose to 5.9 million but there were 10.8 million job openings in January. Leisure and hospitality added 105,000 jobs in February, employment in […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work. The tight labor market has pushed total job openings to nearly double the available workers this year, but hiring has slowed amid a broader economic slowdown. Job openings fell by 410,000 to 10.8 million in January after rising […]

Key Points: In 2022, higher top tax rates on personal income predicted population losses. The map shows the top tax rate and the rate of population change for states with at least 5,000 population change. Arrows to the left indicate a population loss while arrows to the right indicate a population gain. In 2022, eight […]

Key Points: The Chicago Mayoral election is today, Tuesday February 28th, and crime has been a prevalent issue as Mayor Lori Lightfoot fights for re-election. Chicago Police Department statistics show that crime has risen 33% since Lightfoot took office. Comparing 2022 crimes to 2019, murders are up 39%, robberies are up 13%, theft is up […]

Key Points: Orders for durable goods fell in January at the largest monthly rate since April 2020. Durable goods are products designed to last at least three years, such as computers and machinery. New orders for durable goods decreased 4.5% to $272.3 Billion in January from December, following a 5.1% increase in December. Consensus among […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales fell for the twelfth straight month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.00 million. Existing-home sales fell 0.7% in January from December and 36.9% from one year ago. Consensus among economists was a 0.1% increase. The median existing-home sales price climbed 1.3% from one year ago to $359,000. First-time buyers […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 517,000 in January as the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.4%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 185,000 jobs. In January, the unemployed population was little changed at 5.7 million but there were 11 million job openings in December. Leisure and hospitality added 128,000 jobs […]

Key Points: The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work. The tight labor market has pushed total job openings to nearly double the available workers this year, but hiring has slowed amid a broader economic slowdown. Job openings rose by 572,000 to 11 million in December after falling […]

Key Points: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures average home prices in major metropolitan areas across the nation, rose 7.7% in the year that ended in November, down from 9.2% in the previous month. This is the fifth straight month home prices have fallen. The 20-City Composite posted a 6.8% year-over-year […]

Key Points: The share of U.S. workers who are members of unions fell to a record low last year even though unions added more members than in any year since 2008. Roughly 10.1% of wage and salary workers were union members last year, down from 10.3% in 2021. Union membership grew by 273,000 last year […]

Key Points: Existing-home sales fell for the eleventh straight month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million. Existing-home sales fell 1.5% in December from November and 34.0% from one year ago. Consensus among economists was a 5.4% drop. The median existing-home sales price climbed 2.3% from one year ago to $366,900. Existing-home sales […]

Key Points: After two straight years of record-setting payroll growth following the pandemic-related disruptions, the labor market is starting to show signs of stress. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 223,000 in December, the smallest gain in two years. Average hourly earnings were up 4.6% in December from the previous year, the narrowest increase since […]

Key Points: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 223,000 in December as the unemployment rate edged down to 3.5%. Consensus among economists was a gain of 200,000 jobs. In December, the unemployed population fell to 5.7 million but there were 10.5 million job openings in November. Leisure and hospitality added 67,000 jobs in December, employment […]

Key Points: Retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, fell 0.6% in November from October. Consensus among economists was a 0.1% decline. November’s 0.6% decline comes after a 1.3% gain in October. Excluding autos, retail sales fell by 0.2% over the month. Retail sales are up 7.7% from a year prior […]

Key Points: BLS’s survey of households registered a decline in employment of 138,000 in November from October. While the survey of employers registered a gain of 263,000 jobs, this is a contrast with the household survey.