CHICAGO FED’S EVANS: FACTORIES SHOW SIGNS OF ADAPTING TO MEET HEALTH CHALLENGES

NEW YORK (MaceNews) – The economic outlook remains uncertain, but steps by manufacturers to protect workers from Covid-19 in the workplace show how businesses can adapt and recovery can unfold, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said Monday. Evans, in remarks prepared for delivery in a virtual meeting with the Lansing, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, recounted […]

DATA FLASH: US APRIL PAYROLLS PLUNGE 20.5 MLN, UNEMP RATE 14.7%

–Virus  Impact to Remain for Several Mos, Changes Likely to Be Smaller–Hourly Earnings Surge 4.7% , Most Job Losses in Lower-Incomes  By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The April employment report Friday represented the full effect of the COVID-19 shutdown with payrolls posting the largest decline on record and the unemployment rate rising to the […]

WHITE HOUSE WATCH: HAPPY ENDING, UNHAPPY ENDING OR NO ENDING?

By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Amid all the bad virus news there are a few nuggets of good news. How much good news could there be when another 2,000 or more Americans are killed by the virus every day. One set of projections see that increasing to 3,000 a day by the end of […]

DATA FLASH: US APRIL MANUFACTURING ISM CONTRACTS SHARPLY

–Regional Data, Markit Survey Also Soft as Full COVID Impact Hit–March Construction Spending Up on Home Remodeling By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The April ISM index Friday showed U.S. manufacturing sector activity contracted sharply, confirming the disappointing regional and Markit data that preceded it. Conditions are unlikely to improve until businesses are given the […]

DATA FLASH: US INITIAL CLAIMS STILL ELEVATED AS BACKLOGS CONTINUE

–Initial Claims Fall By 603,000 to 3.839 Mln; Continuing Claims Not Peaked–Personal Income Down 2.0%; PCE Plunges 7.5%; Core PCE Prices -0.1%–Employ Costs Accelerated in 1Q; Chicago PMI 35.4 By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Initial claims fell by 603,000 to 3.839 million in the April 25 week, ahead of the 3.50 million level expected, […]

BUSINESS ECONOMISTS GRAPPLE WITH OUTLOOK, TRY TO CATCH UP WITH DETERIORATION

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The National Association for Business Economics Monday published its latest survey of business conditions and 107 of its members concluded that the outlook has been clouded so much by the pandemic that there are few definitive conclusions at this early stage. The NABE’s averaged survey results showed a severe economic dislocation yet […]

Updating CBO’s Economic Forecast to Account for the Pandemic

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office update text of pandemic-related economic assumptions posted Friday morning by CBO Director Philip Swagel: CBO expects that the economy will contract sharply during the second quarter of 2020 as a result of the continued disruption of commerce stemming from the spread of the novel […]

DATA FLASH: US MARCH MANUFACTURING ISM TICKS DOWN ON UNCERTAINTY

-Decline Follows Disappointing Regional Data, Markit Revised Lower By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Manufacturing sector activity contracted modestly in March according to the Institute of Supply Management, slightly better than the regional data leading up to it, but likely the first in a string of monthly declines. The headline PMI index fell to 49.1 […]

MANUFACTURING WEAKNESS HOLDS DOWN CHICAGO FED DISTRICT BUSINESS CONDITIONS

NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Manufacturing business conditions eroded in the Chicago region in July/August while non-manufacturing improved, according to the latest survey of Seventh Federal Reserve district business activity conducted by the Chicago Fed. The Chicago Fed’s Survey of Business Conditions Activity Index rose to −22 in the July/August survey period from −30 in the […]