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

Initial claims: the return of “almost nobody is getting laid off”

Initial claims: the return of “almost nobody is getting laid off”  – by New Deal democrat We’re back to the virtuous scenario where almost nobody is getting laid off. Initial jobless claims for the last week of December declined -18,000 to 202,000, the lowest since October. More importantly, the 4-week average declined -4,750 to 207,750, […]

Being grateful for one big thing Baby boomers did Part I

This is Part 1 of 2 of an article by Andy Kiersz of Business Insider. Rather than smash it altogether, I thought splitting it into two likely parts would improve the presentation on Angry Bear. Part II can be found here. Gen Z, Millennials Should Stop Complaining About Baby Boomers, Economy, business insider, Andy Kiersz […]

ISM manufacturing index remains in contraction, and the trend in vehicle sales may have turned down as well

ISM manufacturing index remains in contraction, and the trend in vehicle sales may have turned down as well The ISM manufacturing index, where any value below 50 indicates contraction, once again came in negative for both the total index, at 47.4, and the more leading new orders subindex, at 47.1. Both have been indicating contraction […]

New Year, same old labor market deceleration

New Year, same old labor market deceleration  – by New Deal democrat This morning’s JOLTS report for November continued the same trend of labor market deceleration that we have seen since the blazing hot boom of 2021. Job openings declined -62,000 to 8.790 million, the lowest level since March 2021. Actual hires fell sharply, by […]

American society was not always so car-centric.

Introduction: Nice piece on how Americans are so tied to their gasoline powered cars, pickup trucks, etc. and the impact on cities and environment. What is key to this article and the author’s thought is this statement: “The obvious solution … lies only in a radical revision of our conception of what a city street […]

Construction spending continued to increase in November

Construction spending continued to increase in November  – by New Deal democrat I’m feeling a little under the weather today, so I am going to keep this brief. Total construction spending rose 0.4% in November, while residential construction rose 1.1%: Keep in mind that these are nominal numbers, affected by the cost of construction materials. […]

New Deal democrats Weekly Indicators for December 25 – 30 2023

 – by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. 2023 has been a year of improvement, and that improvements continued in the final installment, as ever so slowly more and more indicators flip neutral or positive. As usual, clicking over and reading will bring you up to the virtual moment, and […]

NPR Nails It: Highlights Two Programs That Make a Difference to Millions

NPR Nails It: Highlights Two Programs That Make a Difference to Millions, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Dean Baker. Dean Baker: I’ve complained a lot about how the major media outlets seem to highlight every piece of bad news about the economy, while downplaying or ignoring altogether the positives. Given my complaints, I want […]