US Economy News and Headlines
US Economy News and Headlines
The Vanguard S&P Mid‑Cap 400 ETF (IVOO) is heavily weighted toward cyclical sectors, with about 65% in discretionary, financials, industrials, materials and real estate. The analyst warns that uncertain U.S. consumer demand, rising unemployment and AI‑driven productivity gains could dampen multiplier effects, making the fund vulnerable. Additional risks include regional‑bank exposure amid flattening yield curves and potential SaaS obsolescence in smaller‑cap tech holdings. Consequently, the author advises caution on IVOO until consumption recovery becomes clearer.
The Census Bureau’s SOMA report shows the three‑month absorption rate for new apartments stayed below 50% for the fourth consecutive quarter, slipping to 47% in Q2 2026. Despite modest growth in completions—over 90,000 units for the seventh straight quarter—median asking...
Redfin’s 2025 analysis shows the median U.S. homeowner now stays in a home for 12 years, the longest tenure since 2022. Tenure peaked at 13.4 years in 2020, fell during the pandemic‑driven buying surge, and rebounded slightly in 2025. California...
Utility electricity rates in the U.S. have risen faster than inflation since 2022, driven primarily by higher natural‑gas prices, pandemic‑induced residential demand, and under‑invested transmission infrastructure. While data centers add load in specific markets, they do not align with the...
Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the Iran‑Israel conflict threatens to choke oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude futures to their highest level in over a year. Higher energy prices could lift inflation and undermine the...
Private residential construction spending rose 1.5 % in December 2025, driven by gains in single‑family builds and home‑improvement projects. Single‑family construction increased 1.6 % month‑over‑month but remains 3.6 % below a year earlier, while multifamily spending edged up 0.1 % for a seventh straight...
U.S. Census Bureau reports October 2025 retail sales rose 2.2% year‑over‑year. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia posted positive changes, with New York leading at a 6.1% increase. Building‑materials and garden‑equipment dealers fell 5.4% YoY, while West Virginia saw a 16.1%...
The week of March 2‑6 is packed with macro releases, including Eurozone, UK and US manufacturing PMIs, Eurozone CPI flash estimates, Australian Q4 GDP, and a full slate of US labor market data. Analysts expect the ISM manufacturing PMI to dip...
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) omits key out‑of‑pocket healthcare expenses, masking true inflation for many Americans. While the CPI shows a modest 3% rise since President Trump’s second inauguration, premiums on the ACA marketplace have...
US Dollar slipped this week, trading near 97.60 on the DXY, down about 0.2% as traders digest the Supreme Court’s decision that declared Trump‑era tariffs illegal and the administration’s subsequent new levies. A stronger‑than‑expected Producer Price Index failed to lift...
Private fixed investment in student dormitories rose 1.5% in Q4 2025, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $3.9 billion. The gain follows three quarters of decline but remains 1.3% below the same quarter a year earlier. Pandemic‑induced drops had pushed investment...
The Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow model now estimates first‑quarter 2026 real GDP growth at 3.0%, a slight dip from the 3.1% forecast three days earlier. The revision follows fresh data from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics,...
Bitcoin fell about 3% after January's producer‑price index (PPI) posted a 2.9% year‑over‑year rise, outpacing the 2.6% consensus. The surprise was driven by a services‑inflation spike, with trade‑service margins up 2.5%, while consumer‑price inflation (CPI) cooled to 2.4% YoY. The...
US producer‑price index jumped 0.5% month‑on‑month in January, outpacing expectations and reigniting concerns that inflationary pressures remain entrenched. The surprise lift pushed Dow futures down over 500 points and nudged the 10‑year Treasury yield below the 4% threshold, suggesting markets...
The 2026 luxury housing report shows the median entry price for the nation’s top 10 % of homes steady at about $1.2 million, while the elite “ultraluxury” ZIP codes now start at $5.5 million. Newport Coast, CA (92657) displaced Fisher Island, FL to...
Despite a fourth‑quarter slowdown to 1.4% annualized, the U.S. economy is projected to resume solid, above‑trend growth in the first half of 2026. Labor market indicators show stabilization, with January adding 130,000 jobs and the unemployment rate edging down to...
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran urged a faster easing path, calling for four quarter‑point rate cuts in 2026 to support the labor market. He argued inflation is largely contained and that the Fed should act sooner rather than later. Miran...
Home‑improvement loan applications peaked at 1.49 million in 2022 and have moderated to 1.20 million in 2024, remaining above pre‑pandemic levels. The borrower age profile is gradually aging, with the 65‑74 and 75+ cohorts expanding modestly. Meanwhile, the 45‑54 group stays the...
The National Association of Home Builders' 2026 Priced‑Out Analysis reveals that 52 % of U.S. households—about 70 million—cannot afford a $300,000 home, while the median new‑home price is expected to reach $410,000. The affordability pyramid shows 47.5 million households limited to homes under...
On February 19, 2026, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released 2024 Regional Price Parities (RPPs) for all U.S. states and metro areas. The index, where 100 equals the national average, shows California at the highest cost of living (110.7) and...
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, to be applied for 150 days after a Supreme Court decision nullified the prior regime. The Airforwarders Association (AfA) warned the measure will...
Kevin Warsh’s nomination to replace Jerome Powell places a deeply divided Federal Reserve at a crossroads. Warsh argues the institution needs a revamped analytical framework and a “balance‑sheet theory” rather than a singular focus on rate cuts. He suggests structural...
The Conference Board’s Measure of CEO Confidence™ jumped to 59 in Q1 2026, an 11‑point gain from Q4 2025, reflecting renewed optimism among 142 surveyed CEOs. CEOs reported improved views of overall economic conditions and their own industries, with 43% expecting short‑term...
The Conference Board reported that the Global Leading Economic Index (LEI) held steady at 0.0% in December, marking the first month of flat growth since the index’s inception. Major economies displayed mixed signals: the United States slipped 0.2%, China declined...
Adjustable‑rate mortgages (ARMs) have surged to about 21% of U.S. mortgage originations, the highest share in three years, even as rates fall. In high‑cost states such as California, ARMs account for over 31% of loans, driven by a widening affordability...
The USDA Economic Research Service forecasts a 2.5% rise in overall grocery prices for 2026, slightly below the 20‑year average of 2.6%. Seven of the 15 food‑at‑home categories, including beef, fish, sugar and non‑alcoholic beverages, are expected to outpace the...
Wall Street’s recent tumble was triggered by a speculative memo from Citrini Research that painted a dystopian AI future where productivity booms coexist with massive white‑collar job loss and collapsing consumer demand. The Substack‑style piece, framed as a 2028 science‑fiction...
A virtual “Trade Winds” event on March 11, 2026 gathered top economists and policymakers to assess the resurgence of Western industrial policy. Speakers outlined a growing toolbox—including procurement preferences, subsidies, and public‑private partnerships—driven by competitiveness, innovation, and economic‑security concerns. The measures aim...
The Trump administration announced an "America First" investment drive that has secured more than $5 trillion in pledges from foreign governments for projects across defense, technology, energy and infrastructure. The deals are framed as reciprocal arrangements, linking tariff relief to partner...
Leading research institutions—Yale's Budget Lab, Brookings' Hamilton Project, and the Peterson Institute for International Economics—are convening a virtual event to dissect AI's influence on employment. The discussion will spotlight the most informative data sources, from real‑time job postings to wage...
A recent webinar examined the evolving economic partnership between the United States and Japan, highlighting trade, investment, and supply‑chain dynamics amid shifting global patterns. Experts discussed how post‑pandemic realignments and technological change are reshaping bilateral ties. The dialogue also addressed...
The dollar index rose modestly as a two‑week low yen boosted USD/JPY and stronger US consumer confidence lifted the greenback. Dec S&P composite‑20 home‑price data also outperformed expectations, while a rally in the yuan limited gains. The euro slipped on...
U.S. income inequality has deepened sharply from 1974 to 2024, with the bottom four quintiles’ share of total earnings falling from 62 % to under 55 % while the top 20 % rose to 52.2 %. The top five percent’s income share surged 40 %,...
Supreme Court ruled on Feb 20, 2026 that the International Economic Emergency Powers Act does not give the president authority to impose tariffs. The decision directly challenges the wave of tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump during his second term,...
The S&P CoreLogic Case‑Shiller National Home Price Index rose 1.3% year‑over‑year in December, a slight dip from 1.4% in November, indicating a slowdown in price growth. Existing‑home sales fell to a 1995 low while national inventory more than doubled since...
Young adult headship rates slipped to 43.7% in 2024, reversing the post‑pandemic rise that peaked at 44.2% in 2023. While this figure still exceeds the 40.2% level recorded in 2017, it remains below the roughly 46% benchmark of the 1990s‑early...
FRED’s latest maps reveal nonfarm employment changes for Q4 2025. North Carolina led states with a 22,700‑job gain, while Virginia and Washington, DC each shed over 17,000 jobs. At the metro level, the New York‑Newark‑Jersey City area added 31,200 jobs, whereas the...
New Bureau of Labor Statistics data reveal that 306,800 workers participated in 30 major work stoppages in 2025, a 13% rise from the previous year. Public‑sector strikes dominated, accounting for 17 of the incidents, while private‑sector actions included a 46‑day...
The U.S. Census Bureau announced an updated release calendar to address a recent lapse in federal funding, postponing the next Quarterly Services Survey (QSS) revisions and benchmark releases. The delay affects historical corrections, new seasonal factors, and data from the...
HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced a proposed rule that would require proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status for every resident in HUD‑funded housing, targeting so‑called “mixed‑status households.” The rule follows a HUD‑DHS audit that identified roughly 200,000 units...
The post examines how the 10‑year US‑German bond yield spread correlates with the USD/EUR exchange rate, showing that higher US yields usually coincide with dollar appreciation. A notable exception occurred after April 2 2025, when a sharp US yield rise was followed...
The U.S. Census Bureau has postponed the Advance Economic Indicators Report, originally slated for January 28, 2026, to February 19, 2026 due to a recent lapse in federal funding. The report, which provides forward‑looking data on international trade, retail inventories,...
The U.S. Census Bureau announced USA Trade Online: Reimagined, a modernized, login‑free platform that retains core trade data while offering a streamlined interface. A processing error in Exhibit 15 was corrected and the updated FT900 PDF and XLSX were posted on...
Realtor.com’s January 2026 Rental Report shows the 29th consecutive month of year‑over‑year rent declines for 0‑2‑bedroom units, with the median asking rent falling 1.5% to $1,672. Vacancy rates in the nation’s 50 largest metros rose to 7.6%, the highest since...
The Conference Board‑Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Index rose to 100.4 in January 2026, a modest 0.4 % gain from December’s revised 100.0 reading. The increase follows a 5.6 % decline between November and December and leaves the index 15.4 % lower than a...
A new report from the Committee for Economic Development warns that the United States’ national debt has surpassed $38 trillion, matching the size of the economy and rising rapidly. The report urges Congress to create a bipartisan fiscal commission to devise...
The Conference Board Employment Trends Index rose to 105.06 in January 2026, up from 104.51 in December, indicating a modest acceleration in payroll growth. Unemployment insurance claims continued to fall and the share of involuntary part‑time workers slipped to 17.6%,...
