Tag Archives: Economic Indicators

On the spot View: U.S. September payrolls decrease than anticipated, jobless fee drops

[ad_1]

(Reuters) – U.S. job progress elevated reasonably in September, with the unemployment fee dropping to close a 50-year low of three.5%, which might assuage monetary market issues that the slowing economic system was on the point of a recession amid lingering commerce tensions.

KEY POINTS:

* Sept nonfarm payrolls +136,000 (consensus +145,000) vs Aug +168,000 (prev +130,000), July +166,000 (prev +159,000)

* Sept labor pressure participation fee 63.2 pct vs Aug 63.2 pct (prev 63.2 pct)

* Sept jobless fee 3.5 pct (consensus 3.7 pct) vs Aug 3.7 pct (prev 3.7 pct)

* Common hourly earnings all non-public employees unchanged (cons +0.Three pct) vs Aug +0.four pct (prev +0.four pct)

* Sept U-6 underemployment fee 6.9 pct vs Aug 7.2 pct (prev 7.2 pct)

* Sept non-public sector jobs +114,000 (cons +133,000), vs Aug +122,000 (prev +96,000)

* Authorities jobs +22,000 vs Aug +46,000 (prev +34,000)

MARKET REACTION:

STOCKS: S&P e-mini futures ESv1 flip barely larger and have been final up 0.18%, pointing to flat to barely larger open

BONDS: Treasury yields rose barely; 2- 12 months US2YT=RR at 1.4237% and 10-year US10YT=RR at 1.5477%

FOREX: The greenback index .DXY reversed slight losses and was about 0.05% larger

COMMENTS:

SHAWN SNYDER, HEAD OF INVESTMENT STRATEGY, CITI PERSONAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT, NEW YORK  

“Anytime you see the unemployment fee fall Wall Avenue goes to suppose it’s good.”

“Traders are on excessive alert for indicators of a recession … It doesn’t affirm the story. Optimistic payroll shouldn’t be in line with a recession.”

“It’s type of a goldilocks report. It’s not sturdy sufficient to maneuver the Federal reserve away from chopping charges on the finish of October however it’s not weak sufficient to make you involved concerning the labor market or the patron.”

SHAUN OSBORNE, CHIEF FX STRATEGIST, SCOTIABANK, TORONTO:

    “The quantity got here simply shy of expectations, however provided that market expectations have shifted after the ADP and ISM numbers, individuals have been bracing for one thing worse than this. So that is within the ballpark of what’s acceptable. Wage progress is a bit gentle, however unemployment dropped. In a broad sense, this was not that dangerous. It most likely provides the greenback a little bit of respiratory room after a little bit of a tough experience the final three or 4 days.”

JOSEPH SROKA, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, NOVAPOINT, ATLANTA

“The quantity got here up mild relative to consensus, however not too dangerous on the non-public information. However the fruits of the weak ISM information and the payrolls report is rising the percentages in traders mindset that the Fed has extra incentive to think about one other rate of interest discount on the subsequent assembly.”

“The economic system has been going by a low degree of deceleration during the last couple of months and whenever you take them in mixture some is trade-related and a few is time-related, which means you possibly can’t develop infinitely. The Fed’s been proactive on adjusting rates of interest earlier than we noticed the info like this month’s ISM. So possibly the problem that some modest fee adjustment from the Fed is sufficient to preserve the economic system from a deeper decline and lengthen growth, albeit at a slower tempo.”

SAMEER SAMANA, SENIOR GLOBAL MARKET STRATEGIST, WELLS FARGO INVESTMENT INSTITUTE, ST. LOUIS

“Headline job progress, non-public payrolls, and manufacturing payrolls, and wage progress all got here in weaker than anticipated and suggests some softening within the labor market.

  “This information most likely reinforces the case that the U.S. is now starting to really feel the results of the continuing international slowdown and doubtless strengthens the case for extra fee cuts, if the Fed chooses to go down that path.”

TOM PORCELLI, CHIEF U.S. ECONOMIST, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, NEW YORK

“If individuals have been genuinely on the sting of the dialog about whether or not or not we’re slipping into recession or not, that is the sort of quantity that ought to pressure them to take a step again from that view. I by no means essentially thought that individuals must be holding that view, however I’m merely highlighting a market actuality. I believe that there was, from the market perspective, an actual threat that we have been slipping into recession. This isn’t a recessionary sort of quantity. This was a superbly sound report in most methods, not in each method. The one factor that I don’t like is that common hourly earnings have been flat. However however, the unemployment fee improved once more, we’re 3.5% on the unemployment report. This isn’t a dynamic that occurs with nice regularity in the USA, traditionally talking. The labor backdrop is definitely in actually fine condition, regardless of quite a lot of the noise that we proceed to listen to about these fears. This report throws quite a lot of chilly water on that.”

“I believe the Fed is locked stepping into October, virtually no end result was going to alter that. Whether or not the quantity was worse than anticipated and even fairly a bit higher than anticipated, I believe the Fed was going to go. The doves on the committee are clearly in management as a result of they’re the voters proper now.

KATHY JONES, CHIEF FIXED INCOME STRATEGIST, SCHWAB CENTER FOR FINANCIAL RESEARCH, NEW YORK

“I believe that the general image confirms the mild slowdown within the economic system that’s already priced into the bond market. However the lack of wage achieve, I believe, is a little bit of a shock. You’ll suppose that given the low degree of the unemployment fee, wages can be ticking up, however truly common hourly earnings have been down a bit. That may very well be a fluke, however they did peak in February…That raises quite a lot of questions – what’s the composition of jobs which can be being added? Is it that we’re pulling in quite a lot of people who’ve been on the margins and subsequently are extra low-wage jobs being added?”

“All in all, it’s not most likely a giant mover for the bond market, however it does go away the probability of a Fed fee minimize on the desk – maybe in October, maybe they’ll determine upon it in December and get extra information.”

“It’s fairly in line with what we noticed with the PMIs, the ISMs… The ISM was fairly gentle. The drop within the manufacturing payrolls was a affirmation of softness in there. We noticed a little bit of a drop in mining as properly, which isn’t stunning. Building, gentle. Total a gentle report, however that was anticipated.”

JOHN VELIS, GLOBAL MACRO STRATEGIST, BNY MELLON, NEW YORK

“Going into it and contemplating what we noticed with the 2 ISM surveys, it might have been so much worse. It’s most likely good for the market and never as dire as many individuals anticipated. It doesn’t imply that the economic system and the roles market are falling off a cliff. Then again, it’s not sturdy sufficient that it’s going to take out this extra Fed easing that has been priced into the curve the previous few days.”

DOUG DUNCAN, CHIEF ECONOMIST, FANNIE MAE, WASHINGTON

“The revisions being up is a optimistic as a result of sometimes when the employment market is slowing the revisions of prior months are down, and that has been the case for about 5 months. So, the truth that the revisions are up this time recommend that there’s not a precipitous slowing in unemployment. The truth that wage charges are holding is nice information, it’s help for the patron.

“There’s not a warning of a major slowdown within the economic system from these information. Our view is that with a purpose to keep the extent of unemployment steady we have to add someplace between 100,000 and 120,000 jobs a month, so this definitely matches that. It doesn’t recommend a major slowing in exercise at this level.

“I’d be stunned if there was a major response (from the market) in both course. What it does do is spotlight the variations of opinion on the Fed board about whether or not the economic system is slowing precipitously or not and also you had a number of dissents from the final fee minimize, that doesn’t assist make clear for them whether or not their disagreements are merited or not.”

JJ KINAHAN, CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST, TD AMERITRADE, CHICAGO

“There’s a lot to love, particularly given the revisions that occurred. Retail shedding as many roles because it did once more, I don’t suppose it’s a huge shock. We proceed to see that pattern, everyone seems to be making an attempt to determine it out, so to talk, and once more the world they misplaced them in being primarily in clothes.

“Manufacturing could also be somewhat bit regarding, down 2,000 jobs not an enormous factor total. It’s a must to bear in mind this didn’t embrace the GM strike due to timing. In order that one will present up within the subsequent report, however it’s nice that we received a 45,000 revision larger between July and August and that is among the issues individuals actually favored about this. The 2 areas which have been unbelievable being healthcare and enterprise to enterprise providers are simply stud sectors. Each single month these two sectors present up and we simply proceed to see that. The opposite factor that was vital was transportation and warehousing, so once more, areas that take items from one place to a different, up 16,000 jobs. Most of this was an actual optimistic for the economic system regardless of a few of the different numbers we’re seeing.

“We’ve had such a string of dangerous information, that something that exhibits the economic system is doing higher than maybe individuals have been speaking about is properly acquired. I don’t suppose it clarifies the image any which method (for the Fed). It’s another piece of grey thrown into the image.”

Americas Economics and Markets Desk; +1-646 223-6300

Our Requirements:The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.

[ad_2]

Supply hyperlink

U.S. unemployment fee hits 3.5%; job development average

[ad_1]

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. unemployment fee dropped to close a 50-year low of three.5% in September, with job development growing reasonably, suggesting the slowing economic system may keep away from a recession for now regardless of commerce tensions which can be hammering manufacturing.

The Labor Division’s intently watched month-to-month employment report on Friday, nevertheless, contained reminders that the dangers to the longest financial enlargement on document remained tilted to the draw back. Wage development stagnated and manufacturing payrolls declined for the primary time in six months. The retail and utilities sectors additionally continued to shed jobs.

The report adopted a string of weak financial studies, together with a plunge in manufacturing exercise to greater than a 10-year low in September and a pointy slowdown in companies trade development to ranges final seen in 2016, that heightened fears the economic system was flirting with a recession.

“The unemployment fee normally rises forward of a recession, so a contemporary decline pushes out the timeline for any potential recession into late 2020 on the earliest,” mentioned Josh Wright, chief economist at iCIMS in New York.

The 2-tenths of a proportion level drop within the unemployment fee from 3.7% in August pushed it to its lowest stage since December 1969. The jobless fee, which had been caught at 3.7% for 3 straight months, declined at the same time as 117,000 folks entered the labor drive final month.

Nonfarm payrolls elevated by 136,000 jobs final month, the federal government’s survey of institutions confirmed. The economic system created 45,000 extra jobs in July and August than beforehand estimated. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls would improve by 145,000 jobs in September.

September’s job positive aspects have been under the month-to-month common of 161,000 this 12 months, however nonetheless above the roughly 100,000 wanted every month to maintain up with development within the working-age inhabitants. The smaller family survey from which the unemployment fee is derived confirmed a leap of 391,000 in employment in September.

With indicators that the Trump administration’s 15-month commerce warfare with China is spilling over to the broader economic system, continued labor market energy is a crucial buffer towards an financial downturn. The commerce warfare has eroded enterprise confidence, sinking funding and manufacturing.

There’s additionally political uncertainty in Washington after the Democratic-controlled U.S. Home of Representatives launched an impeachment inquiry towards President Donald Trump over accusations he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to analyze former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a number one candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

These components, along with benign wage inflation, are prone to immediate the Federal Reserve to chop rates of interest a minimum of yet one more time this 12 months, economists mentioned. The U.S. central financial institution minimize charges final month after decreasing borrowing prices in July for the primary time since 2008, to maintain the financial enlargement, now in its 11th 12 months, on observe.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated on Friday that the economic system was “in a superb place,” including that “our job is to maintain it there so long as attainable.”

The greenback .DXY was little modified towards a basket of currencies. Costs of U.S. Treasuries rose marginally. Shares on Wall Avenue have been buying and selling increased.

STRONG GOVERNMENT HIRING

“We proceed to count on the Fed to chop its goal rate of interest later this month,” mentioned Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York. “We imagine it will have taken a a lot stronger quantity to persuade Fed management that they’ve already taken out sufficient insurance coverage towards draw back dangers.”

Financial development estimates for the third quarter vary from as little as a 1.3% annualized fee to as excessive as a 1.9% tempo. The economic system grew at a 2.0% tempo within the second quarter, slowing from a 3.1% fee within the January-March interval.

Slower development was bolstered by a report from the Commerce Division on Friday that confirmed the U.S. commerce deficit widened 1.6% to $54.9 billion in August.

A broader measure of unemployment, which incorporates individuals who need to work however have given up looking and people working part-time as a result of they can not discover full-time employment, declined to six.9% final month, the bottom stage since December 2000, from 7.2% in August.

Regardless of the tight labor market, common hourly earnings have been unchanged final month after advancing 0.4% in August. That lowered the annual improve in wages to 2.9% from 3.2% in August. The common workweek was unchanged at 34.Four hours.

Some economists imagine wage development is stalling as a result of firms are hiring inexperienced staff within the face of labor shortages. Others blame the slowdown on ebbing demand for staff.

“With demand for labor softening and plenty of firms contending with increased enter prices because the commerce warfare lingers and broadens, we don’t count on to see any significant strengthening in wage development within the coming months,” mentioned Sarah Home, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hiring is slowing throughout all sectors, excluding authorities, which is being boosted by state and native authorities recruitment. Non-public payrolls elevated by 114,000 jobs in September after rising by 122,000 in August.

The three-month common acquire in personal employment fell to 119,000, the smallest since July 2012, from 135,000 in August.

Manufacturing shed 2,000 jobs final month, the primary decline in manufacturing unit payrolls since March, after a acquire of two,000 jobs in August. Manufacturing has paradoxically borne the brunt of the Trump administration’s commerce warfare, which the White Home has argued is meant to spice up the sector.

Final month’s decline in manufacturing payrolls was led by the automotive sector, which misplaced 4,100 jobs. Additional losses are possible if a strike by Basic Motors (GM.N) staff continues.

FILE PHOTO: A “Now Hiring” signal sits within the window of Tatte Bakery and Cafe in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photograph/File Photograph/File Photograph

Building employment elevated by 7,000 jobs after rising by 4,000 in August. Retail payrolls fell by 11,400 jobs, marking an eighth straight month-to-month drop.

Authorities employment elevated by 22,000 jobs in September after surging by 46,000 in August. Hiring was boosted by state and native governments. Just one,000 staff have been employed final month for the 2020 Census. Authorities payrolls have elevated by 147,000 over the 12 months, pushed by native governments.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Enhancing by Sandra Maler and Paul Simao

Our Requirements:The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.

[ad_2]

Supply hyperlink

Slowing manufacturing hiring may point to fraying U.S. expansion

[ad_1]

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The longest streak of U.S. factory hiring in a quarter century came to an unexpected end last month, and a clouded outlook for important manufacturing sectors like autos may impede a quick rebound, undermining a key plank of U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic agenda.

FILE PHOTO: A line worker installs the front seats on the flex line at Nissan Motor Co’s automobile manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S., August 23, 2018. REUTERS/William DeShazer/File Photo

That sector lost 6,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department said on Friday, ending a 19-month streak of gains that started in August 2017 and had it extended one more month would have become the longest uninterrupted expansion of factory employment since the mid-1980s.

As it stands, the just-ended run was the longest since a comparable streak from August 1993 through February 1995 and saw the generation of 410,000 U.S. factory jobs. By comparison, that earlier run during Democrat Bill Clinton’s presidency produced 526,000 new manufacturing positions. A 20-month streak back in the early 1980s generated 1.34 million production jobs.

Today, companies that produce cars, construction equipment and other manufactured goods account for 12 percent of an economy that in July marks 10 years of expansion, the longest on record. Back in the 1990s, manufacturing’s share of the economy was around 16 percent and it was closer to 20 percent in the early 1980s.

Trump campaigned on rebuilding the sector and his ability to create high-paying American manufacturing jobs, partly by pushing other countries for more favorable terms of trade.

For a graphic on U.S. manufacturing employment, see – tmsnrt.rs/2CYWCQt

Overall, though, the March jobs report was upbeat.

It showed U.S. employment growth in March accelerating from a 17-month low, signaling that February’s sharp pullback was more likely an anomaly rather than a sign of an impending economic slowdown. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 196,000 jobs for the month, while economists polled by Reuters forecast gains of 180,000 jobs.

Last month’s unexpected slowdown in factory hiring – economists polled by Reuters had forecast a gain of 10,000 jobs – may signal that slower consumer and business spending as well as softening auto sales may curtail manufacturing job growth going forward. Another possibility is that factories are finding trouble finding and retaining willing workers.

Weakness in the auto sector bears watching. Manufacturers in that area have announced thousands of job cuts to deal with slowing sales that have led to an inventory bloat. So far this year auto manufacturers and suppliers have unveiled plans to cut 15,887 jobs, according to data on Thursday from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc, an outplacement consultancy.

Yet some companies that are hiring in that sector report labor shortages in their regions.

Shawn Hendrix, president of Nissen Chemitec America Inc, which supplies parts for Honda and Subaru cars, said he is not seeing an industry slowdown. He is having trouble finding people to fill jobs at his London, Ohio, factory.

“We are hiring – in our area in central Ohio almost all manufacturers I know are hiring,” Hendrix said. But it’s hard to find workers willing to commit to long-term jobs: some quit after two days of orientation. “If we don’t develop a pipeline with our educators it’s going to be very difficult to sustain manufacturing,” he said.

It is possible that the figure for March is a blip. The Institute for Supply Management said on Monday that its index of national factory activity rose to a reading of 55.3 in March from 54.2 in February, which had marked the lowest level since November 2016.

Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Dan Burns and Andrea Ricci

[ad_2]

Source link