Introduction With Labor Day coming up on Friday, it’s important to understand how the Fed is tracking the labor market. In particular, it is important that we do not rely on non-agricultural monthly publications – something we have warned against ever since. 2023. Whiplash reviewsthe changing “breakeven rate” (the number of jobs needed to keep … Read more
Consumers continue to feel the effects of inflation on their finances. In February, the Consumer Price Index, which tracks the cost of consumer goods and services, showed a rise of 2.4% over the past 12 months. And according to another world policy organization, the US war with Iran and its effects on the price of … Read more
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is down 7% year-to-date through March 30, 2026, while the VIX rose to 30.61 as energy shocks driven by WTI crude oil above $100 a barrel threaten to reverse inflation. Core PCE inflation reached 128.394 in January 2026, its highest figure in 12 months, while the yield of the … Read more
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) – Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Monday that it is important to carefully watch inflation during the rise in energy prices since the Iran war. Watch Powell’s comments in full in the video player above. Powell, who spoke in front of about 400 students at Harvard University when gas prices averaged … Read more
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has a message for young Americans looking for work in a tough job market: Don’t be discouraged, even though job creation remains weak and the threat of artificial intelligence remains. The chairman of the Fed, who gave comments on Monday to an undergraduate economics class at Harvard University, talked a … Read more
Market makers are reluctant to take risks as the Middle East war rages Liquidity crunch increases market volatility, wild price swings Increasingly, merchants are struggling to find willing customers LONDON/NEW YORK/SINGAPORE, March 30 (Reuters) – The Iran war has sent jitters across financial markets, leaving some investors and market makers reluctant to take risks, making … Read more