By Tom Burnett CFA On January 10, 2023, the World Bank issued its 2023 “Global Economic Prospects” report which lays out its view that an economic slowdown is expected in most regions this year. This forecast will be updated in June, but the message is clear, the Bank is looking for reduced GDP growth…
By Tom Burnett CFA On January 6, 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the employment data for December 2022. Job totals rose by 223,000 from the prior month. Total nonfarm employment now stands at 153.7 million, a post-Covid high. The unemployment rate is now 3.5%, down from 3.7% in the previous…
By Tom Burnett CFA On December 14, 2022, the Federal Reserve voted unanimously to raise the Fed Funds rate to a range of 4.25%-4.50%. This action follows four consecutive increases of 75 basis points at previous meetings. The Fed press release makes it clear that inflation remains a major economic issue…
By Tom Burnett CFA On December 12, 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its Consumer Price Index report for November. The CPI rose 0.1% in November and 7.1% over the past 12 months. The increase for October was 0.4% and the average increase over the past five months is 0.2%. The 12-month increase…
By Tom Burnett CFA On December 9, 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the data for the Producer Price Index for the month of November. The PPI rose 0.3% in November, following increases of 0.3% in both October and September. The Index rose by 7.4% in the 12 months ending November, compared…