U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Black Unemployment Remains High

Posted: July 7, 2018 at 7:50 am

Economists regularly point out the unemployment of black Americans is at multiyear and perhaps all-time lows. It is still, however, nearly double that of whites. In June, according to the ...
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ADP Sets Cautious Tone for Friday’s Labor Department Report on Job Growth

Posted: July 5, 2018 at 10:50 am

There may be a bit of a more muted expectations for Friday's key payrolls and unemployment report from the U.S. Department of Labor. The private sector payrolls report from ADP ...
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Unemployment Remains High In Several States

Posted: June 16, 2018 at 7:38 am

Headline after headline trumpet the fact that U.S. unemployment hit a multi-decade low of 3.8% in May. Most states have matched, or are even below that number. However, in several ...
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CPI: Just Right for May

Posted: June 12, 2018 at 12:18 pm

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of May and it did not disappoint. The topline number for CPI, the all items ...
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Consumer Prices Looking More Tame Than Producer Prices

Posted: April 11, 2018 at 10:15 am

After a hotter than expected Producer Price Index (PPI) reading on Tuesday, investors and consumers can breathe a little easier about the inflation onslaught in 2018 that has been feared ...
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Producer Price Woes: When the Markets Have to Deal With 3% Inflation

Posted: April 10, 2018 at 10:45 am

The markets are still worried about inflation, and Tuesday's stock market gains may sort of overshadow the underlying inflation pressure being seen right now. A new inflation reading has been ...
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Black Unemployment Rate Almost Double White

Posted: April 7, 2018 at 8:10 am

The economy added a very modest 108,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.1%. The rate of the increase was slower than it has been many recent months. ...
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March Payrolls Come in Handily Under Expectations

Posted: April 6, 2018 at 9:05 am

Friday's economic reporting cycle was dominated by the employment situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Expectations were for a cooler payrolls report than the huge gains seen ...
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Are the Markets Braced for Strong Payrolls and Wage Gains on Friday?

Posted: April 5, 2018 at 2:10 pm

Friday morning will bring the Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This number is perhaps the most widely followed for the overall strength of the jobs economy, ...
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Why Consumer Inflation May Now Be in the Sweet Spot

Posted: March 13, 2018 at 11:16 am

The Federal Reserve had targeted 2.0% to 2.5% inflation for years, and now 2.0% inflation is most frequently cited as the long-term goal. Financial markets have been spooked into thinking ...
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Black Unemployment 86% Higher Than White

Posted: March 10, 2018 at 8:10 am

The economy added an extraordinary 313,000 jobs in February. The unemployment rate for the month was 4.1%. One group that has been left far behind is black Americans. The unemployment rate ...
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Even Higher Producer Prices vs Consumer Prices Not Spooking the Markets

Posted: February 15, 2018 at 10:25 am

It was just on Wednesday that the markets were somehow spooked by a higher inflation reading in the January Consumer Price Index report. This CPI came in hotter than expected, ...
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Should Fewer Job Openings Curb Many of the Wage Inflation Fears?

Posted: February 6, 2018 at 10:55 am

When the financial markets are in panic mode, it's hard to get investors and economists to pay attention to lower-impact economic reports. Still, part of the issue hurting the stock ...
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Strong Payrolls Gains in January Include Some Clouds of Wage Inflation

Posted: February 2, 2018 at 10:10 am

Friday's top economic report was the Employment Situation report from the U.S. Department of Labor. The number was stronger than what had been indicated in December's disappointing report, but it ...
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Large Drop in Productivity Could Weigh on Corporate America’s Growth Ambitions

Posted: February 1, 2018 at 10:30 am

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its reading on labor productivity and unit labor costs for the fourth quarter. If you were a bit surprised that the fourth ...
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