Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending January 6th, total mortgage activity increased 1.2% from the previous week and the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate fell sixteen basis points to 6.42%. The FRM rate has remained near 6.4% over the past month. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage…
The balance of consumer credit outstanding grew 7.1% in November 2022 (seasonal adjusted annual rate) after climbing 7.4% (SAAR) in October according to the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report. Revolving debt—which consists primarily of credit card debt—increased at a 16.9% rate, more than four times the growth of nonrevolving debt (excluding real estate) which…
Mortgage rates have increased rapidly in 2022, as the Federal Reserve continues to fight high inflation. The U.S. weekly 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose from a slightly above 3% in early 2022 to more than 7% in late October and leveled off at a rate of 6.42% as of the end of 2022. Mortgage payments increased…
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* rose at a slower pace in November. After reaching the highest rate (8%) of 2021 in October, the pace of wage growth has retreated and remained below 4% for the past five consecutive months. The recent slowdown in wage growth will ease inflation pressures. According to the Bureau…
Job growth slowed in recent months, but the overall labor market remains tight. In December, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 223,000, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5%, back to its lowest point before the pandemic. However, in a positive sign for inflation, wage growth slowed to a 4.6% year-over-year gain, the slowest…
Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2022 while Indiana, South Dakota, and Mississippi saw modest GDP declines. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the percent change in real GDP ranged from 8.7 percent increase in Alaska to 0.7 percent decline…
The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy declined slightly in November, falling from 10.51 million open positions to 10.46 million. This represents a decrease from a year ago (10.92 million), a sign the labor market is slowing in response to tighter monetary policy. The degree of this slowing will be critical for…
