The Affordability Problem

February 27, 2026 Almost everything we buy these days is less affordable than it was prior to the 2020 recession. The prices of almost everything have risen more quickly than our income. Between the increase in mortgage rates and skyrocketing home prices in the past...

Construction Spending

February 27, 2026 Construction spending (the green bars above) rose 0.3% in Decemver after declining 0.2% in November..  This indicator was essentially unchanged in  2025.  In the past 12 months it has declined 0.4%. Private construction spending (excluding the...

Producer Price Index

February 27, 2026 . The Producer Price Index for final demand  includes producer prices for goods, as well as prices for construction, services, government purchases, and exports and covers over 75% of domestic production. Producer prices for final demand rose 0.5% in...

Initial Unemployment Claims

February 26, 2026 Initial unemployment claims rose 4 thousand to 212 thousand in the week ending February 21 after having declined 21 thousand in the previous week. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits declineed 31 thousand in the week ending February...