Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

September jobs report: a positive – if stale – report

 – by New Deal democrat First things first: the jobs data we received this morning, like the official data reported earlier this week, is “stale news.” The period canvassed giving rise to this data was over two months ago. As such, aside from the fuller texture which it provides to us, the most important question is […]

Why Would Increasing Sales Be an Indicator for a Poor Economy?

More likely than not, buying at WalMart indicates such because the costs are less. Even now when prices are up, WalMart may still be the place to shop. People may be buying off brands and poorer cuts of meat, Spaghetti may be on the menu more often. “Walmart Q3 earnings show a distressed American consumer,” […]

Jobless claims: new four year high in continuing claims

 – by New Deal democrat While this morning’s much delayed September jobs report was the big news of the day, the DoL did resume their normal weekly reporting of unemployment claims, so let me in turn resume my normal weekly note of them. Initial claims declined -8,000 to 220,000 while the four week moving average […]

Does Government Military Spending “Fund” Shareholder Dividends, Buybacks, and Concentrated Wealth?

Short answer: yeah. The long answer is . . . longer. – by Steve Roth Originally posted at Wealth Economics There are a lot of pathways and mechanisms in the US and worldwide that deliver wealth to assetholders, and that have perennially concentrated that wealth (hence power) into the hands of dynasties over millennia — notably over […]

Partially updated jobless claims data suggest unemployment rate at or near top end of 2025 range

 – by New Deal democrat There was no new official data reported this morning, including the normal monthly report on housing permits, starts, and construction. Yesterday the Department of Labor did partially update several weeks of jobless claims data, which helps us estimate what might happen with the unemployment rate when the September jobs report is […]

August factory orders rebounded from early summer lows

As with yesterday, the good news is that important official economic data is being reported again. The bad news is that it is very stale, as in covering last August. – by New Deal democrat Still, one important area that private data did not cover well during the shutdown was orders and spending on durable goods, […]

U.S. Citizens Wishing to Leave the US

Another commentary on people who would leave the United States. A Vice article on November 9th. I am not going to post it and I will supply the link. Not a terribly long commentary “America’s biggest export might soon be its own citizens according to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2025 survey. Sixty-three percent (63%) […]

August construction spending: strong nominal headline masks neutral real trend in the deep rear view mirror

 – by New Deal democrat The good news is, with the end of the government shutdown, economic data reporting resumed this morning. The bad news is, we are now in the latter part of November, and the construction spending report issued this morning was for all the way back in August. In fact, the last time […]