Is the Economy Really at Full Employment?
October 23, 2026 The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%. The Fed believes that the “full employment” threshold for the unemployment rate is also 4.2%. That is the lowest level for the unemployment rate that the economy can sustain without causing inflation to...
2027 Economic Outlook Conference
2027 Economic Outlook Conference In times of uncertainty whether you are running a business or planning your investments, knowledge can be your most valuable asset. Stephen Slifer, Owner and Chief Economist at NumberNomics will provide insight regarding what...
Initial Unemployment Claims
October 22, 2026 Initial unemployment claims declined 6 thousand in the week ending October 17 to 194 thousand after having risen 2 thousand in the previous week. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits rose 25 thousand in the week ending October 10 to...
Pending Home Sales
October 20, 2026 Pending home sales declined 5.2 points in September to 66.0 after having risen 0.2 point in August. In the past year pending home sales have fallen 11.3%. The National Association of Realtors chief economist, Lawrence Yun said, “Market conditions...
Housing Starts
October 20, 2026 Housing starts declined 5.2% in September to 1,221 thousand after having fallen 5.9% in August. Starts are very volatile from month to month, but the trend pace of starts seems to be somewhat lower than it was at the end of last year....
Homebuilder Confidence
October 19, 2026 Homebuilder confidence fell 3 points in October to 29 after having declined 3.0 points in September. Builders are worried about the rising cost of materials, high mortgage rates, and affordability. The breakeven point for this series is 50 so at...
An Inflation Surprise — Economic Outlook Remains Rosy
October 16, 2026 The CPI surprised to the upside in September. It rose 0.6% when a gain of 0.5% had been expected as energy prices rose slightly more than economists projected. The core rate climbed by 0.3% versus the 0.2% increase that was anticipated. But that...
Industrial Production
October 16, 2026 Industrial production jumped 0.7% in September after having risen 0.1% in August.. In the past year industrial production has risen 2.2%. The September increase was driven by a 3.5% increase in the output of utilities. Breaking industrial...
Producer Price Index
October 15, 2026 . The Producer Price Index for final demand includes producer prices for goods, as well as prices for construction, services, government purchases, and exports and covers over 75% of domestic production. Producer prices for final demand jumped...
Retail Sales
October 16, 2026 Retail sales climbed by 0.8% in September after having jumped by 1.3% in August. In the past year retail sales have risen 6.3%. Consumers continue to spend despite the runup in inflation caused by the war with Iran. Motor vehicle sales rose 0.2%...
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