Car and Truck Sales

February 4, 2025 Unit car and truck sales sank 7.5% in January to 15,603 thousand after having risen 1.3% in December and 3.4% in November.  Car sales picked up in the last few  months of 2024 but clearly got whacked in January.  The bitter cold weather throughout...

Job Openings

February 4, 2025 The  Labor Department reported that job openings declined 556 thousand in December to 7,600 thousand after having risen 317 thousand in November.   The pace of economic activity has remained solid while the labor market has softened very gradually. ...

Construction Spending

February 3, 2025             Construction spending (the green bars above) rose 0.5% in December after  having risen 0.2% in November and 1.6% in October.  After being essentially unchanged through most of last year, construction spending...

Employment Cost Index

January 31, 2025 The employment cost index for civilian workers climbed at a 3.6% annual rate in the fourth quarter after climbing at a 3.1% annual rate in the third quarter.    Over the course of the past year it has risen 3.8%. The employment cost index peaked at...