by Mark Chandik | Dec 22, 2025
The unemployment rate rose from 4.4% in September to 4.6% in November. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics did not conduct its household survey in October due to the government shutdown. The household survey includes the unemployment rate. The rise from the cyclical low...
by Mark Chandik | Dec 17, 2025
Fed Cuts Rates Again, Signals a Possible Pause The Federal Reserve followed through on what was a widely expected rate cut, reducing the fed funds rate a quarter-percentage point (1 basis point = 0.01%) to a range of 3.50 – 3.75%. This is the third rate cut—totaling...
by Mark Chandik | Dec 8, 2025
A December 1 headline from Reuters sums up the start of the Christmas shopping season: US Holiday Shoppers Shake Off Economic Blues for Online Spending Spree. Let’s briefly review the numbers. Deep discounts have spurred shoppers to splurge on big-ticket items, with...
by Mark Chandik | Dec 2, 2025
Retailers are ringing up solid earnings, but consumer confidence surveys tell a different story, suggesting the mood is far from upbeat. This disconnect raises a big question: if shoppers are still buying, as we will highlight in a moment, why do they feel so uneasy...
by Mark Chandik | Nov 24, 2025
Redfin reported last week that sellers are grappling with the strongest buyer’s market since the real estate brokerage firm began compiling records back in 2013. Sellers now outnumber buyers by 37%. More sellers than buyers give those searching for a home an...
