By Tom Burnett CFA On March 18, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) voted to leave the Fed Funds range at 3.5-3.75%. The vote was 11-1 with one member voting for a reduction of one-quarter point. The FOMC statement reiterates the goal of reducing the Core inflation rate from the current…
By Tom Burnett CFA On March 11, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its CPI Report for February. The CPI rose 0.3%, after rising 0.2% in January. The year-over-year increase was 2.4%, the same as the prior month and the lowest figure since May 2025. The Core rate, excluding food and energy, rose…
By Tom Burnett CFA Total employment in the U. S. economy declined by 92,000 in February, according to a March 6 Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate was 4.4%, unchanged from the prior month. Federal government employment fell by 10,000 and now totals 330,000 jobs lost since…
By Tom Burnett CFA On February 13, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its CPI Report for January. The CPI rose 0.2% in January, the smallest monthly increase since July. The year-over-year increase was 2.4%, down from 2.7% in December. The Core Index, excluding food and energy, rose 0.3% in…
By Tom Burnett CFA On February 11, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employment Report for January. Total employment rose by 130,000 while the unemployment rate fell from 4.4% to 4.3%. One year ago, that figure was 4.0% The number of unemployed job seekers rose to 7.4 million, compared…