FEATURED POST
November 19, 2024
Flipping the housing-labor dynamic
By most accounts, the U.S. economy is doing well. Last week, we learned that inflation is rising more slowly than it was a year ago, and consumers are continuing their brisk spending. Lurking beneath this upbeat data, however, is housing, which continues to put a squeeze on the economy.
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August 14, 2023
Main Street Macro: HR secrets, revealed
by Ben Hanowell
Insight into how the labor market affects our lives on Main Street sometimes comes from surprising places. And what sometimes might seem like a surprising place is where we should have been looking all along.
This week, we found labor market insight hidden in one such place: the HR department. Specifically, HR staffing ratios, the share of a company's employees who work in HR.
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July 31, 2023
MainStreet Macro: Holiday Roads
When economists discuss the economy, they often focus on the national numbers. But state-level data are just as important to understanding the drivers of growth.
As we turn the corner into August and peak vacation season, let’s take a data-driven road trip with three main stops – economic growth, unemployment, and wages.
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July 24, 2023
MainStreet Macro: Hold ‘em, fold ‘em, or walk away?
Some songs capture the ethos of the moment. As Federal Reserve policymakers ponder how to play their hand on interest rates this week, Kenny Rogers has some advice: You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run. With Kenny’s wisdom in mind, here’s a look at the Fed’s cards and what policymakers might be thinking.
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July 17, 2023
MainStreet Macro: Inflation’s construction zone
Last week delivered some good news: Inflation was up 3 percent from last year, the slowest 12-month increase since March 2021.
Inflation was even lower in many areas of consumer spending, but one part of our economy that is continuing to see prices soar is shelter.
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July 10, 2023
MainStreet Macro: At your service
Data on the overall health of the economy delivered good news in June to round out the first half of the year. The economy created 209,000 jobs last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the ADP National Employment Report found that private employers added 497,000 new workers.
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June 26, 2023
MainStreet Macro: Add this must-have summer data to your economic toolbox
Summer is here, and with it, the return of peak homebuying season, a time when families rush to find their dream house before school starts in the fall. Even if you’re not a homeowner and have no interest in buying, this pickup in activity can have consequences for you. Homebuying season comes with an abundance of important data on the housing market, which in turn can tell us a lot about consumers and the economy.
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June 12, 2023
MainStreet Macro: To pause or not to pause? Maybe that’s not the question
The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates 10 consecutive times, taking the benchmark federal funds rate from near zero up to more than 5 percent.
This week, Fed policymakers meet again to decide whether to move rates again – or not. Economists are divided as to whether the central bank should pause their rate hikes this month or keep them coming.
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June 5, 2023
MainStreet Macro: Gen Z joins the workforce
It’s graduation season. Some young adults will head to college, and some college graduates will continue with their studies. But most members of this year’s graduating class will become new entrants into a dynamic and evolving post-pandemic labor market.
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