The labor market created more jobs during November while the economy grew at a faster than previously believed pace during the summer. Here are the 5 things we learned from U.S. economic data released during the week ending December 2.
Employers continued to add workers during November. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates nonfarm payrolls expanded by a seasonally adjusted 178,000 during the month, following gains of 142,000, 208,000, and 280,000 during the 3 prior months. Private sector employers were responsible for 156,000 of the new jobs, split by 139,000 for the service sector and 17,000 for the goods-producing side of the economy. Industries with the largest payrolls gains during the month were professional/business services (63,000), health care/social assistance (+34,700), leisure/hospitality (+29,000), and construction (+19,000). Interestingly, the retail sector shed workers for a 2nd straight month with a drop of 8,300 during November. The average length of the workweek held steady during the month at 34.4 hours while average weekly earnings of $890.62 represented a 2.2% increase from a year earlier.
A separate survey of households finds the unemployment rate falling 3/10ths of a percentage point to 4.6%, its lowest post-recession reading. That news is tempered, however, by the fact that 226,000 people left the labor force during the month leading to a 1/10th of a percentage drop in the labor force participation rate to 62.7% (near its 4-decade low). The median length of unemployment fell to another post-recession low at 10.1 weeks (November 2015: 10.7 weeks). The seasonally adjusted count of involuntary part-time workers continued to decline, falling by 220,000 during the month to 5.669 million (November 2015: 6.085 million). Finally, the broadest measure of labor underutilization—the U-6 series—dropped to another low at 9.3% (November 2015: 9.9%).
The U.S. economy grew at a slightly faster pace during Q3 than previously believed. The Bureau of Economic Analysis upwardly revised its estimate of 3rd quarter growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from a 2.9% gain to a 3.2% increase (both are seasonally adjusted annualized growth rates). The upward revision was the product of a higher than previously reported level of consumer spending. Even with the revision, the growth rate of personal consumption expenditures was below that of Q2 but nevertheless as responsible for 1.89 percentage points of GDP growth during Q3. Also adding to economic growth during the quarter were net exports (adding 87-basis points to GDP growth), an expansion in private inventories (49-basis points), and government spending (making a 5-basis point contribution to GDP growth). Fixed investment was a drag on GDP during the quarter, subtracting 15-basis points to the final GDP growth rate as a result of a slowdown in residential sector spending. The same report indicates that corporate profits (from current production) jumped 6.6% during the quarter to a SAAR of $2.155 trillion (+2.8% vs. Q3 2015). The BEA will revise its Q3 GDP report once again in a month.
Personal spending grew modestly in October. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inched up 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis during the month following a 0.5% jump in September. Real spending on goods increased 0.9% during the month, with gains of 1.0% and 0.8% for durable and nondurable goods, respectively. Real spending on services fell 0.3% during October. Real personal spending has grown 2.8% over the past year. On a nominal (current dollar) basis, spending grew 0.3% during October to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of $12.925 trillion. Nominal personal income increased 0.6% during the month to a SAAR of $16.260 trillion, while disposable income grew on both a nominal (+0.6%) and real (+0.4%) basis. The savings rate grew by 3/10ths of a percentage point to +6.0%. Finally, the PCE deflator—a measure of price change—grew 0.2% during the month while the core index (net of energy and food) eked out a 0.1% gain. The 12-month comparables for both were +1.4% and +1.7%, respectively.
Purchasing managers reported faster manufacturing sector growth. The Purchasing Managers Index from the Institute for Supply Management grew by 1.3 points during November to a seasonally adjusted 53.2. This was the 3rd straight month in which the measure was above a reading of 50.0, indicative of a growing manufacturing sector. 4 of 5 PMI components improved during the month: supplier deliveries (up 3.5 to 55.7), inventories (up 1.5 to 49.0), production (up 1.4 to 56.0), and new orders (up 0.9 to 53.0). The component index tracking employment shed 6/10ths of a point to 52.3. 11 of 18 tracked manufacturing sectors expanded during November; including, petroleum/coal productions, paper products, computer/electronic products, and food/beverage products. The press release noted comments from survey respondents that had indicated “increasing demand, some tightness in the labor market and plans to reduce inventory by the end of the year.”
A closely watched measure of home prices finally topped pre-recession highs. The U.S. National Case-Shiller Home Price Index grew 0.4% (before seasonal adjustments) during September to a reading of 184.80. This was not only 5.5% above the year ago reading, it was 0.1% above its previous peak of 184.62 achieved by back in July 2006. Further, national home prices have risen 37.9% since their most recent trough of February 2012. The 20-City Case-Shiller Index remained 9.1% below its pre-recession high even though the index grew 0.1% before season adjustments. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the 20-city index gained 0.4%, with prices rising in all tracked markets. The press release noted that the breakthrough in the national index “will be seen as marking a shift from the housing recovery to the hoped-for start of a new advance.”
Other data released over the past week that you might find of interest:
– Jobless Claims (week ending November 26, 2016, First-Time Claims, seasonally adjusted): 268,000 (+17,000 vs. previous week; -6,000 vs. the same week a year earlier). 4-week moving average: 251,500 (-7.6% vs. the same week a year earlier).
– Vehicle Sales (November 2016, seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate): 17.87 million vehicles (-0.8% vs. October 2016, -2.1% vs. November 2015).
– Conference Board Consumer Confidence (November 2016, Index (1985=100), seasonally adjusted): 107.1 (vs. October 2016: 100.8). Present conditions: 130.3 (vs. October 2016: 123.1). Expectations index: 91.7 (October 2016: 86.0).
– Construction Spending (October 2016, Value of Construction Put into Place, seasonally adjusted): $1.173 trillion (+0.5% vs. September 2016, +3.4% vs. October 2015).
– Pending Home Sales (October 2016, Index (2001=100), seasonally adjusted) 110.0 (+0.1% vs. September 2016, +1.8% vs. October 2015).
– Beige Book
– Agricultural Prices (October 2016, Prices Received by Farmers, seasonally adjusted): -6.6% vs. September 2016, -9.3% vs. October 2015.
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Kevin’s current and previous employers. No endorsements are implied.
What We Learned About the U.S. Economy Last Week 