Category Archives: Consumers

Too Many Vacant Jobs?

Financial FAQs The number of job openings was little changed at 7.8 million in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, both hires and total separations were little changed at 5.5 million and 5.2 million, … Continue reading

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Worried Consumers Shop Less

Popular Economics Weekly “Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—decreased $125.0 billion (0.6 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) decreased $29.3 billion (0.1 percent).” BEA.GOV We are seeing one of the classic signs of a looming recession—consumers are … Continue reading

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Interest Rates Coming Down?

The Mortgage Corner “Existing-home sales rose in May, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Sales elevated in the Northeast, Midwest and South, but retreated in the West. Year-over-year, sales progressed in the Northeast and Midwest but contracted in the … Continue reading

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U.S. Already in Recession?

Financial FAQs The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the US ticked down by 0.1% in May 2025 to 99.0 (2016=100), after declining by 1.4% in April (revised downward from –1.0% originally reported). The LEI has fallen by 2.7% in … Continue reading

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Tariffs Trump Consumer Spending

Financial FAQs “Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for May 2025, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $715.4 billion, down 0.9 percent (±0.5 percent) from the previous month, … Continue reading

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California Can’t Be Bullied

Popular Economics Weekly Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California has officially overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, according to newly released data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). April, 2025 LATimes The Trump … Continue reading

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Republicans Have Never Paid Their Bills

Financial FAQs “The new law will reduce federal revenues by significant amounts, even after allowing for the impact on economic growth. It will make the distribution of after-tax income more unequal. If it is not financed with concurrent spending cuts … Continue reading

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Immigrants Make a Difference

Popular Economics Weekly “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 139,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend up in health care, leisure and hospitality, … Continue reading

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More Signs of Slower Growth

Financial FAQs “The manufacturing economy continues to struggle,” Susan Spence of ISM said. “It will continue to struggle” due to all the trade uncertainty. “The administration’s tariffs alone have created supply chain disruptions rivaling that of Covid-19,” executive at an … Continue reading

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Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill?

Answering Kennedy’s Call “The House has now passed what must surely be the worst piece of legislation in modern U.S. history. Millions of Americans are about to see crucial government support snatched away. A significant number will die prematurely due … Continue reading

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