Labor/Economy
PODCAST: Economy Watch Weekly with Dees Stribling
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.
Economy Watch: Good Job Growth in February
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the economy added 192,000 jobs in February, bringing the unemployment rate below 9 percent, and productivity and retail spending are up as well.
Economy Watch: Mixed Reports on Jobs
ADP releases jobs numbers; the Home Affordable Modification Program doesn’t have a lot of fans; and the Beige Book reports that economic activity continues to expand at a modest rate.
Economy Watch: Construction Spending Slumps in January
Construction spending took a dive in January; Geithner outlines a strategy for “winding down” Fannie and Freddie; and the House passes a temporary spending measure to keep the federal government breathing for now.
Economy Watch: Consumer Spending Up, but Not as Much as Incomes
Incomes were up in January, with help from the cut in Social Security taxes; pending home sales dipped; and the NABE predicts better GDP growth a previous projection.
Economy Watch: 4Q GDP Estimate Pared Down
U.S. GDP wasn’t quite as robust in the fourth quarter of 2010 as the U.S. Department of Commerce had previously estimated. On Friday, growth was recalibrated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to an annualized rate of 2.8 percent, down from an earlier estimate of 3.2 percent.
PODCAST: Economy Watch Weekly with Dees Stribling
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.
Economy Watch: New Homes Sales Slump in January
New home sales took a dive in January; Goldman Sachs predicts budget cuts would slow U.S. growth; and oil markets nervously await the outcome of the upheaval in Libya.
Economy Watch: Existing Homes Sales Up
Existing home sales rose unexpectedly during January, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), up 2.7 percent from the previous month. The annualized sales rate was 5.36 million units, which compares to roughly 4.9 million sold in all of 2010 (using NAR figures).