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.”
The Justice Department has announced its largest-ever financial seizure — more than $3.5 billion — and the arrests of a New York couple accused of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency.
The co-founder of Peloton is stepping down as chief executive after an extended streak of tumult at the company, which will also cut almost 3,000 jobs.
Spotify’s CEO says that while he condemned podcaster Joe Rogan’s use of racial slurs, he doesn't believe that cutting ties with the popular personality is the answer.
The last trading day of January ended one of the most rocky months for the markets in nearly two years. Dan Russo, Portfolio Manager and Director of Research, at Potomac Fund Management explains what happened in January, and what to expect for February.
Just ahead of Google parent company Alphabet reporting its fourth quarter earnings, investors are keeping an eye on revenue from its cloud services, which has been a major area of development recently as well as its ad revenue. Adam Lampe, CEO and Co-Founder of Mint Wealth Management explains why the cloud may be the future for Alphabet.
Kristin Myers, Editor-in-Chief at The Balance, joined Cheddar News to preview the January jobs report, and to break down the racial disparity in employment numbers in the U.S.
The January jobs report saw really strong jobs numbers coming out of that well above what analysts expected. John Traynor, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at People's United Advisors explains what such a positive report could mean for the markets in both the long and short term and whether or not this could be a turning point for the labor market.
After weeks of bad news about Peloton, reports indicate that the at-home fitness giant might find itself getting acquired. Doug Astrop, managing partner at Exponential Investment Partners, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the possibility that Amazon, Nike, and Apple might be showing interest in buying the subscription-based business, whose shares have plummeted near 80 percent in the past year. "At some point everybody hits the limit on how many monthly fees they want to pay, how many subscriptions they want to have," said Astrop. "And you know, you've got Netflix, you got Amazon Prime, you got Spotify — I mean there's there's endless people who want you to pay a monthly fee. So, if you can be part of these bundles, it can really be advantageous for everybody."
With no end to inflation in sight, the Fed was likely on edge prior to awaiting the latest January jobs numbers, which are likely to be yet another issue on Fed Chair Powell's already over crowded plate. The jobs report also coming just days after America's national debt hit a huge milestone -- passing 30 trillion dollars for the first time ever. Kathryn Rooney Vera, Head of Research & Strategy at Bulltick explains the amount of pressure that fed is under as it tries to whip the economy back into shape.
