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.”
Gas prices are driving up demand for electric vehicles, but many potential buyers are having trouble finding them.
Thanks to a perfect storm of consumer demand and supply issues, EVs and hybrids are becoming increasingly hard to come by. Jesse Toprak, Chief Analyst for Autonomy, breaks down the factors contributing to this EV crunch.
Tickets for the hottest Broadway shows are now more expensive than they were even before the pandemic. According to data from the Broadway League, about half of the current productions are grossing more than $1 million a week. Just before Covid shut down the Great White Way, only a third of shows were making that much. But despite the hefty price tags, demand is strong. Ed Butowsky, Chapwood Investments Managing Partner, explains why Americans are still willing to splurge on these experiences, even as prices continue to rise.
U.S. markets opened higher to kick off the second quarter, despite a miss on the March Jobs Report. The economy added $431,000 in the month, slightly lower than the $490,000 analysts had expected. The unemployment rate also ticked down to 3.6% from 3.8%. Kevin Simpson, Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Capital Wealth Planning joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
David Spika, President & CIO of GuideStone Capital Management, talks about the Fed's approach to tacking inflation and discusses the ripple effect oil is having on the U.S. companies.
Catching you up with what you need to know on Apr 1, 2022, with Ukrainians hoping to flee the besieged city of Mariupol with a ceasefire is in place, President Biden orders the release of oil from U.S.reserves, LGBT activists suing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the "Don't Say Gay" Law, U.S. passports offering an "x" option for gender, and more.
Stock indexes ended a bumpy day higher on Wall Street Friday while Treasury yields soared, after a healthy report on the U.S. job market strengthened expectations for coming interest rate hikes
America’s employers extended a streak of robust hiring in March, adding 431,000 jobs in a sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of a still-destructive pandemic and the highest inflation in 40 years.
