Economy

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon looks on during the inauguration of the new French headquarters of US’ JP Morgan bank on June 29, 2021 in Paris. Michel Euler | AFP | Getty Images JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned investors that the Federal Reserve could still be forced into a sharp policy move next year — despite

Sales of previously owned homes declined 2% in August from July to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.88 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were 1.5% lower than August 2020 for the first annual decline. Sales however are still above pre-pandemic levels. These numbers are a count of home closings

Retail sales posted a surprise gain in August despite fears that escalating Covid cases and supply chain issues would hold back consumers, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Sales increased 0.7% for the month against the Dow Jones estimate of a decline of 0.8%. A separate economic report showed that weekly jobless claims increased to 332,000

The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Federal Reserve has a big meeting on tap next week, one that will be held under the cloud of an ethical dilemma and a policymaking committee that finds itself with fairly pronounced

A customer pushes her shopping cart through the aisles at a Walmart store in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles. Kevork Djansezian | Reuters Tuesday’s report of the consumer price index could set the tone for markets ahead of next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, particularly if it is hotter-than-expected. The CPI is expected to

Prices for an array of consumer goods rose less than expected in August in a sign that inflation may be starting to cool, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The consumer price index, which measures a basket of common products as well as various energy goods, increased 5.3% from a year earlier and 0.3% from July.

Job openings outnumbered the unemployed by more than 2 million in July as companies struggled to fill a record number of vacancies, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, which the Federal Reserve watches closely for signs of slack in employment, showed 10.9 million positions open. That was much

U.S. businesses are experiencing escalating inflation that is being aggravated by a shortage of goods and likely will be passed onto consumers in many areas, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday. In its periodic “Beige Book” look at the nation’s economic picture, the central bank also reported that growth overall had “downshifted slightly to a moderate

First-time filings for unemployment claims in the U.S. dropped to 310,000 last week, easily the lowest of the Covid era and a significant step toward the pre-pandemic normal, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Claims had been expected to total 335,000 for the week ended Sept. 4, according to economists surveyed by Dow Jones. The total

Prices that producers get for final demand goods and services surged in August at their highest annual rate since at least 2010, the Labor Department reported Friday. The producer price index rose 0.7% for the month, above the 0.6% Dow Jones estimate, though below the 1% increase in July. On a year-over-year basis, the gauge

Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan would like to see the central bank announce next month that it will begin tightening its policy reins. Among his reasons is a general belief that the economy can withstand a little less help from the Fed. But Kaplan also said he’s concerned about inflation and “excess risk taking”

Thomas Trutschel | Photothek | Getty Images Now might be a good time for the Federal Reserve to start worrying about inflation. August’s jobs report, besides being a big disappointment on the 235,000 headline number, also showed that wages are rising even with weak hiring. Average hourly earnings jumped 0.6% for the month, about double

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicated Friday that the central bank is likely to begin withdrawing some of its easy-money policies before the end of the year, though he still sees interest rate hikes off in the distance. In a much-anticipated speech as part of the Fed’s annual Jackson Hole symposium, Powell said the economy

American Peterbilt truck on trucking route Interstate 10 in Louisiana. Tim Graham | Getty Images Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell‘s conviction that the inflation winds whipping through the U.S. economy this year soon will subside is not universally shared. In fact, a growing contingent within the Fed’s virtual halls is raising concern that the supply

A home, available for sale, is shown on August 12, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Trends in home prices and consumer expectations that were part of data releases Tuesday pointed to more inflationary issues on the horizon for the U.S. economy. The S&P/Case-Shiller index, which measures home prices across 20 major

A Panda Express restaurant displays a “Now Hiring” sign in Tampa, Florida, June 1, 2021. Octavio Jones | Reuters U.S. companies created far fewer jobs than expected in August as the Covid resurgence coincided with cutbacks in hiring, according to a report Wednesday from payroll services firm ADP. Private payrolls rose just 374,000 for the

U.S. economist Joseph Stiglitz believes now is a good time to rewire the U.S. economy, arguing that “we shouldn’t let a crisis go to waste.” The former senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank said on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted how the economic system isn’t working, referencing inequality, the

Job creation for August was a huge disappointment, with the economy adding just 235,000 positions, the Labor Department reported Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for 720,000 new hires. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% from 5.4%, in line with estimates. August’s total — the worst since January — comes with heightened