Hot and Cold

Hot and Cold

This week’s US data was a study in contrasts. Third-quarter GDP data showed solid performance while the latest jobs data showed a clear cooling in the labor market, above and beyond hurricane and strikes impact. The combination should leave the Fed on track to...
Data Fluctuates, Policy Should Not

Data Fluctuates, Policy Should Not

Last month, we thought that the in-line August inflation print would lead the Fed to settle for a typical 25-basis point cut. Instead, it went for a larger 50-bp point reduction, mostly on account of a softening labor market. Such are the ironies of the data flow:...
US Labor Market Resilience

US Labor Market Resilience

This year, the FOMC has repeatedly made the mistake of chasing monthly data one way or another. First, high inflation turned them super hawkish in the spring, then the rise in the unemployment rate over the summer months drove them into a 50-bp cut in September and an...
Rates Volatility Stalls Housing Revival

US Jobs Report Not Bad Enough

Fed officials agree: “the […] data no longer requires patience, it requires action.” There was a lot of anxiety going into the release that the August payrolls report would flash a big red warning sign about the state of the US labor market and force the Fed into a...