Unemployment data has been released, revealing an interesting trend: different demographic groups are facing varying, and in some cases significantly higher, levels of unemployment. While the overall unemployment rate has remained steady at 4.3%, some demographics are experiencing substantially higher unemployment within their respective fields. This comes alongside hourly wage reports which have met the expected growth level for this month. Historically, however, wage growth has been offset by … [Read more...]

The PCE Index inflation data has been released on schedule, and it paints a rather grim outlook for the future. Inflation has reached a three-year high, and given that it is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, it does not bode well for any impending rate cuts and may even raise the possibility of future rate increases. This is somewhat offset by consumer spending having exceeded expectations, but this appears to be entirely related to high fuel prices, whether consumers … [Read more...]

With the prior week’s release of the inflation data and next week’s release of the PCE Index data — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure — it has been an exceptionally light week for economic releases. The only notable reports were Leading Economic Indicators and Consumer Sentiment, both of which showed declines. Consumer sentiment, in particular, has seen a significant drop since the change in administration, reaching lows not seen in decades. U.S. … [Read more...]