Initial jobless claims fell again last week, dropping for the fifth week in a row. That’s good. But the rate of descent is slowing. It’s too soon to say if this is a warning sign, but as a potential problem it deserves monitoring. As for considering the numbers in hand, today’s release offers another dose of mildly upbeat news. With new filings for unemployment benefits inching lower, the case strengthens for assuming that the downward trend that’s been in force for much of this year is intact. In turn, the continued improvement supports a forecast that the labor market will continue to heal.
Daily Archives: November 14, 2013
US Industrial Production: October 2013 Preview
Tomorrow’s October report on US industrial production is projected to post a 0.2% rise vs. the previous month, based on The Capital Spectator’s average econometric forecast. The expected gain represents a substantial deceleration vs. the increase in industrial output for September. Meanwhile, the Capital Spectator’s average projection for October is slightly higher than the estimates in several surveys of economists.