Two labor market metrics for Fed day
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TWO LABOR MARKET METRICS FOR FED DAY
Investors began Fed Decision Day with two indicators that measure the health of that recently rediscovered other half of the Fed's dual mandate: the labor market.
All things considered, the data appear to support a 25 basis point rate cut later today, which already feels like a fait accompli.
Last week, 221,000 U.S. workers joined the unemployment queue USJOB=ECI. That was exactly the number analysts expected and marks a minimal 1.4% increase over the previous week.
The overall trend, however—as expressed by the four-week moving average of initial jobless claims—is downward, but much of that could be chalked up to lingering hurricane effects.
"The biggest issue for the job market isn’t firing but weaker hiring," writes Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. "Initial claims don't alter our assessment of the balance of risks to the labor market, which remain tilted toward weaker hiring than a sudden rise in layoffs."
Ongoing claims USJOBN=ECI, reported on a one-week lag, increased by a significant 2.1% to 1.892 million, blowing past the 1.875 million consensus and hitting the highest level since November 2021.
Continuing jobless claims have been soaring above the 1.7 million, pre-pandemic level for years, and as they steadily increase it suggests pink slip recipients are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable replacement gigs.
"Continuing claims have been edging higher, consistent with other signs that hiring has slowed," Sweet adds.
Separately, the Labor Department also released its preliminary take on third-quarter labor costs and productivity.
In the July-September period, unit labor costs USLCP=ECI—which gauge the average cost of labor per unit of output produced grew at a 1.9% quarterly annualized rate, much hotter than the 1.0% predicted by economists.
However, the number marks also marks an unexpected cool down; second quarter labor costs grew at a 2.4% rate, revised sharply higher from the originally stated 0.4%.
Productivity USPROP=ECI—which measures average output per hour—also defied analyst expectations by increasing, accelerating to 2.2% from a downwardly-revised 2.1%.
Productivity is the secret sauce that lets economies grow even if they are at full employment," says Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics. "So this result is good news for inflation hawks everywhere."
"This is the kind of result the Fed likes to see as it contemplates cutting rates," Weinberg adds.
(Stephen Culp)
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FOR THURSDAY'S EARLIER LIVE MARKETS POSTS:
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TRUMP CONSTRAINTS COULD DECIDE EUROPEAN EQUITIES' FATE - CLICK HERE
EUROPE RISES ON STRONGER MINING, AUTOS, BUT EARNINGS DRAG - CLICK HERE
EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: FUTURES RISE AHEAD OF JAMPACKED DAY - CLICK HERE
GERMAN POLITICAL DRAMA ADDS TO TRUMP RISKS FOR EUROPE - CLICK HERE
Initial jobless claims and JOLTS firings https://reut.rs/3ClbdHl
Continuing claims and job confidence https://reut.rs/3YWtrrF
Productivity and labor costs https://reut.rs/3YG0LSk
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