BOOM : U.S. employers added 313,000 jobs in February

Trump Bump.  U.S. employers added 313,000 jobs in February, beating expectations for an increase of 200,000 jobs after January’s better-than-expected reading. The unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, while the labor force participation rate increased to 63%.

Wages Rose at the Fastest Annual Pace Since the Recession Ended

February 2,2018
onesmallvoice

Washington DC, U.S. hiring picked up in January and wages rose at the fastest annual pace since the recession ended, as the economy’s steady move toward full employment extended into 2018.

Nonfarm payrolls rose 200,000 -- compared with the median estimate of economists for a 180,000 increase -- after an upwardly revised 160,000 advance, Labor Department figures showed Friday. The jobless rate held at 4.1 percent, matching the lowest since 2000, while average hourly earnings rose a more-than-expected 2.9 percent from a year earlier, the most since June 2009.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent from the prior month following an upwardly revised 0.4 percent gain, the report showed. The 2.9 advance from a year earlier -- which partly reflected a downward revision to the January 2017 wage figure -- compared with projections for a 2.6 percent increase. December’s gain was revised upward to 2.7 percent.

Consumer confidence Jumps to highest level since December 2000

October 31.2017
one small voice 

Ridgewood NJ, Consumer confidence rose to 125.9 in October, according to the Conference Board.The rating is at the highest level since December 2000.This accounts for Americans' views of current economic conditions and their expectations for the next six months.

Consumers were even more optimistic in October than economists polled by Reuters expected. Boosted by the job market which had not received such favorable ratings since the summer of 2001.The economic weight of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma pulled down the spirits of U.S. consumers in September, when the index was relatively flat.The high level of confidence suggests the economy will continue to expand for the rest of 2017, 

The index takes into account Americans' views of current economic conditions and their expectations for the next six months. Economists pay close attention to the numbers because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.

US revised second-quarter GDP Jumps to 3.0% vs 2.7% rise expected

August 30,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog


Ridgewood NJ, the U.S. economy grew faster than initially thought in the second quarter, notching its quickest pace in more than two years.
The Economy also showed signs that the momentum was sustained at the start of the third quarter.
Gross domestic product (GDP) increased at a 3.0 percent annual rate in the April-June period, the Commerce Department said.

Atlanta FED forecasts Surging GDP Growth

August 17,2017
only one small voice


Atlanta GA, the Atlanta FED's Latest forecast is for 3.8 percent GDP Growth . The growth rate of real gross domestic product (GDP) is a key indicator of economic activity, but the official estimate is released with a delay. Our GDPNow forecasting model provides a "nowcast" of the official estimate prior to its release..

Latest forecast: 3.8 percent — August 16, 2017

The GDPNow model forecast for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2017 is 3.8 percent on August 16, up from 3.7 percent on August 15. The forecast of third-quarter real residential investment growth increased from -0.5 percent to 3.7 percent after this morning's new residential construction report from the U.S. Census Bureau.