Americans applied for fewer unemployment benefits at the end of 2019, the Labor Department announced Thursday. The number dropped by 2,000 to 222,000 in the seven days up until December 28, although the four-week average ticked up by 4,750 to 233,250.
The report beat expectations that had predicted 225,000 new claims, according to Reuters. The result marks the third consecutive weekly decline.
“I think we’re definitely going to see slightly smaller growth month by month than what we saw in 2019 and that’s consistent with economists expectations’ of the macroeconomy weakening slightly,” in the labor market, Beth Akers, Manhattan Institute senior fellow, told Cheddar.
She will be keeping an eye on manufacturing trends and changes in policy regarding trade for indications about how job numbers will grow (or shrink) in 2020.
“If you’re looking to something to be concerned about, you can look at the four-week moving average, which is up from what it’s been over the course of the year,” Akers said. “But, by and large, these are really strong, positive numbers for the labor market.”
Americans said credit was harder to access last month, according to a survey from the New York branch of the Federal Reserve. The March Survey of Consumer Expectations found that “respondents were more pessimistic about future credit availability as well, with the share of households expecting it will be harder to obtain credit a year from now also rising.”
Wall Street drifted through a muted day of trading Tuesday, with stocks and bonds making modest moves ahead of reports later in the week with the potential to move markets.
Cheddar News breaks down what to expect on The Day Ahead, as earnings from Albertsons and Carmax are on tap to be released while Fed minutes are due on Wednesday ahead of its meeting next month.
Karla Dennis, CEO and founder of Karla Dennis & Associates Inc., joined Cheddar News to explain what's needed in order to file for a tax extension and avoid penalties.
Irrigreen, an irrigation system startup that develops robotic sprinkler systems for homeowners and recently, recently secured $15 million in seed funding. Shane Dyer, CEO and co-founder of Irrigreen, joined Cheddar News to explain the benefits of the company's system that saves water with less equipment.
Automakers around the world are betting big on electric vehicles. Cheddar News took a peek at some of the models of the electric future at the New York International Auto Show.
Stocks closed mixed ahead of the release of more economic data. Matthew Johnson, president of Johnson Wealth & Income Management, joined Cheddar News to also weigh in on last week's jobs data and the status of the country's labor market and what that could mean for another Fed decision.
