Economy in Brief: 2021

• Declines in home prices & interest rates boost buying power. • Monthly payments move lower. The National Association of Realtors reported that its Fixed Rate Mortgage Housing Affordability Index jumped 2.1% (2.8% y/y) to 171.8 [...]

Covid-19 has turned the labor market upside down and inside out by jettisoning some of the basic rules on which labor markets operate. Governments have taken on such a large role in the labor market that it is hard to tell sometimes [...]

• State initial claims fall to the lowest level in five weeks. • Continuing claims also decrease to a four-week low. • Insured jobless rate eases to lowest level since late-March. Initial claims for unemployment insurance declined to [...]

• Deficit share of GDP continues to balloon. • Outlay surge driven by coronavirus aid. • Higher unemployment reduces personal tax receipts. The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal budget deficit of $162.8 billion during [...]

• Deficit share of GDP continues to balloon. • Outlay surge driven by coronavirus aid. • Higher unemployment reduces personal tax receipts. The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal budget deficit of $162.8 billion during [...]

Because of the way the calendar flows across the Covid-19 infection cycle, most EMU and most economies in the world show the same patterns for IP and for growth in general over 12 months, six months and three months. Italy and France [...]

• Higher energy prices fuel last month's increase. • Services prices remain unchanged for a second straight month. • Goods price inflation is minimal. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% (1.4% y/y) during January following a 0.2% [...]

• Inventories increased 0.3%, while sales jumped 1.2% in December. • Wholesale inventory-to-sales ratio declined to 1.29. Wholesale inventories grew 0.3% in December (-1.6% year-over-year). Wholesale inventory swings can have a [...]