Author Archives
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Residential Construction Employment Is Higher Than a Year Ago
The recovery of overall labor market continued but at a slow pace. In October, 638,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added, and the unemployment rate fell to 6.9%. However, October residential construction employment was 11,500 higher than a year ago, marking the first year-over-year gain since the recession of 2020. Residential construction employment rose by 23,800 in October to 2.9 million… Read More ›
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Jobless Claims Decline Slightly
Weekly initial jobless claims declined slightly for the week ending October 31, and continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, continued a downward trend for the week ending October 24. The modest decreases in initial and continuing claims reflect that labor market continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic but the pace is slow. According to the… Read More ›
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Jobless Claims Continue to Fall
Weekly initial jobless claims decreased for the week ending October 24, and continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, fell for the week ending October 17. The decreases in initial and continuing claims reflect that labor market continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic gradually. According to the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report released by the U.S…. Read More ›
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U.S. GDP Rebounded in the Third Quarter
The U.S. economy rose at the fastest rate on record in the third quarter of 2020 as the economy recovery took hold. Real GDP in the third quarter was close to the pre-recession level, but further recovery is needed. According to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an… Read More ›
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Home Price Appreciation Accelerates in August
In August, home price appreciation accelerated in major markets across the nation. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, reported by S&P Dow Jones Indices, rose at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 12.1% in August, faster than an 8.9% increase in July. It marks the highest annual growth rate since April 2013. On a year-over-year basis,… Read More ›
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Initial Jobless Claims Fall to 787,000
Weekly initial jobless claims decreased for the week ending October 17, and continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, fell for the week ending October 10. The decreases in initial and continuing claims partially reflect that labor market continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit slowly. Also, as unemployment benefits are expiring, claimants may move to… Read More ›
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Continuing Claims Continue to Decline
According to the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report released by the U.S. Department of Labor today, weekly initial jobless claims increased for the week ending October 10, while continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, fell for the week ending October 3. Labor market continues to struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the week ending… Read More ›
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Consumer Prices Increase Slowly in September
Consumer prices rose at a slower pace in September, while energy prices increased and food prices were unchanged. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.2% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, slower than a 0.4% increase in August and a 0.6% increase in July. Excluding the volatile food and energy… Read More ›
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Continuing Claims Fall Sharply
According to the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report released by the U.S. Department of Labor today, weekly initial jobless claims decreased slightly for the week ending October 3, and continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, fell sharply for the week ending September 26. The data indicate that labor market continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,… Read More ›
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Employment Growth Slows in September
Employment growth slowed in September. Total payroll employment rose by 661,000 and the unemployment rate fell to 7.9% for the month. The U.S. labor market continues to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, but admittedly now at a slower pace. Residential construction employment rose by 22,100 in September to 2.9 million as housing remains a bright spot. Total construction industry (both… Read More ›