Tag Archives: Federal Reserve

Plenty of Available Jobs!

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs As a precursor to July’s unemployment report, the Labor Department’s JOLTS report that measures the number of job openings—jobs waiting to be filled—has just come out. The number of openings is still the highest in decades, per the … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales Falter

Posted on July 16, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Fed Chair Powell has said it again. Second-quarter economic data including last week’s consumer price report “do add somewhat” to confidence that inflation is heading down to the central bank’s 2 percent goal at an Economic Club … Continue reading →

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Q2 Economic Growth Is…?

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Estimates of 2024 second quarter economic growth have been all over the map, but I will attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Firstly, GDP growth is mostly dependent on consumer spending, which makes … Continue reading →

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Fewer Jobs, Lower Rates?

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly June’s unemployment report was weaker than expected. It looks like the labor market is slowing enough to convince the Fed that interest rates should come down. Not only fewer nonfarm payroll jobs were added to payrolls, but … Continue reading →

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U.S. Economy Still Too Hot?

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The battle is intensifying between the Fed Governors’ inflation doves and hawks as we approach November. Chairman Powell says inflation is getting closer to the Fed’s 2 percent target when we enter the 3rd quarter 2024, but he’s … Continue reading →

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No More Inflation?

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly It will probably be hard to believe for those scarred by the post-pandemic inflation scare that inflation isn’t declining, but there was no inflation increase in May for both wholesale (PPI) and retail (CPI) inflation indexes. Yes, … Continue reading →

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Fed’s Preferred Inflation Indicator Softens

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The latest economic data show the US economy slowed in Q1 2024, but economic growth should increase in the second quarter because consumers will continue to spend. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), the best measure of overall consumer … Continue reading →

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Whose Inflation Is Too High?

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Declining inflation has stalled in the first quarter, which is hurting prospects for any Fed rate cuts, and causing consumers to buy less. The inflation rate is currently stuck in the 3 percent range, though much lower … Continue reading →

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Q2 Economic Growth Any Better?

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The initial estimate of first quarter 2024 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was less than expected (1.6%), causing financial markets to panic, even though economic growth is better than the initial estimate is reporting, I said last … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales Decline Worrying

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The bad news might be good news, though it presages further grief for some consumers. Retail sales didn’t increase at all in April, and the Consumers Price Index showed lower inflation, with its annual rate dropping to 3.4 … Continue reading →

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