Podcasts

For the week ending March 25, U.S. GDP was revised upwards, but other than that the news was mostly negative, highlighted by uncertainties on the world stage, such as a debt crisis in Portugal. U.S. housing is in a serious trough, and workers over 55 are working longer, not because they want to, but because they have to.

For the week ending March 18, the tragedy in Japan carried an economic dimension: The Bank of Japan flooded its economy with liquidity; industrial facilities were shut down; and the Group of 7 took action to stabilize the yen. The United States saw decline in housing starts, rise in food and gas prices, and Congress passing another temporary spending bill.

For the week ending March 11, retail spending was up, partly due to the payroll tax cut and partly due to increased borrowing. A quarter of residential mortgages are underwater; state attorneys general are attempting to revise foreclosure practices; and we wait to see if the price of oil will derail the recovery.

The week ending Feb. 25 was a tale of ups and downs. On the rise were job creation, income levels and oil prices. On the descent were unemployment and construction, with world events keeping things interesting by mixing in a general sense of unknown.

For the week ending Feb. 25, as Libya blows up, so do oil prices; the federal government may be on the verge of a shutdown; and just when you thought the housing market couldn’t get any worse, turns out it might have been worse all along. Despite all this, consumer confidence shows resilience.

For the week ending Feb. 18, there was plenty happening, including a battle in Washington over the federal budget, opposing views on inflation, and the administration formally suggesting a slow process of winding down Fannie and Freddie.

For the week ending Feb. 11, jobless claims were down, the industrial sector was up, and a lot of people kicked around ideas about what to do with big issues like the GSEs and the federal budget.

For the week ending Jan. 28, the economy is chugging along in all areas, except one. Jobs. Employment continues to lag behind, with the public sector still taking it on the chin.

For the week ending Jan. 28, GDP and home sales showed some uptick. But that good news gets quickly swallowed by the enormous shadow of the federal deficit.

For the week ending Jan. 21, homebuilder confidence and single-family starts stayed down, even though existing home sales are creeping upward.