Monthly Archives: April 2017

Spring (Break) Has Sprung

A brief holiday has commenced at The Capital Spectator’s world headquarters. The usual routine renews with a hey, and a ho, on Wednesday, April 19.  Cheers!

Mixed Q1 GDP Estimates Cloud Economic Outlook

Projections for US economic growth in the first quarter continue to present a varied outlook, ranging from a sharp slowdown to a modest improvement. But if this is a reason for the central bank to delay interest rate hikes, there was no sign of concern in Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s comments on Monday.
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Book Bits | 8 April 2017

● The One Percent Solution: How Corporations Are Remaking America One State at a Time
By Gordon Lafer
Summary via publisher (Cornell University Press)
In the aftermath of the 2010 Citizens United decision, it’s become commonplace to note the growing political dominance of a small segment of the economic elite. But what exactly are those members of the elite doing with their newfound influence? The One Percent Solution provides an answer to this question for the first time. Gordon Lafer’s book is a comprehensive account of legislation promoted by the nation’s biggest corporate lobbies across all fifty state legislatures and encompassing a wide range of labor and economic policies.
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US Employment Growth Slows Sharply In March

The private workforce grew by a weak 89,000 in March, the US Labor Department reports. The gain, which fell far short of the 221,000 increase for February, is well below what the crowd was expecting. Economists were looking for a moderate increase of 170,000 in private-sector employment last month, according to Econoday.com’s consensus forecast. Meanwhile, the strong ADP Employment Report for March hinted at even faster growth at the close of the third quarter. Today’s update from Washington, however, presents a dramatically softer tone for the US labor market.
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US Missile Attack On Syria Reshuffles Risk Analysis

President Trump on Thursday night (Washington time) authorized a US missile strike on a Syria-government airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 civilians in a northern Syrian town. It’s unclear at this point how or if the US military action materially alters the outlook for geopolitical, economic and market risk, but the potential for change can’t be dismissed. Here’s a brief summary of key factors to consider as the world evaluates the news:
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Another Strong Gain For Payrolls, But Growth Trend Still Moderate

US companies added more workers than expected in March, boosting confidence that the labor market’s strength will keep economic growth humming. Private payrolls increased 263,000 last month vs. February, according to yesterday’s ADP Employment Report. The rise marks the fifth monthly advance above 200,000. That’s a strong pace and it hints at the possibility that the macro trend may be stronger than sluggish first-quarter GDP growth projections of late suggest. But looking at employment numbers through the filter of the more-reliable year-over-year change still leaves room for a cautious interpretation of the numbers.
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