Thursday, June 20, 2013

Jobless Claims - 6-20-13

TRADEX GLOBAL INTERNAL COMMENTARY

Jobless claims climbed 18k in the latest week. The labor department reported 354k new claims in the week ended June 15 from a revised 336k the previous period. The Bloomberg survey of 46 economists called for a number in the 340k range, so this was a disappointing number. Firings have slowed dramatically but “new” hiring’s are still too low to reduce the unemployment rate. The more disappointing number is the four week moving average, jumping to 348k from the previous four week period of 345k. This number is a more accurate reading and is a reason why we believe the Fed will not do as much as the market is worried about. Keep nimble – Michael Beattie

EXTERNAL RESEARCH COMMENTARY


More Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, showing progress on reducing joblessness remains uneven amid slower growth this quarter. Jobless claims climbed by 18,000 to 354,000 in the week ended June 15 from a revised 336,000 the prior period, the Labor Department reported today in Washington. The median forecast of 46 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 340,000. No states were estimated and there was nothing unusual in the data, a Labor Department spokesman said as the figures were released.  Employers will need to limit firings before the world’s largest economy can show bigger gains in payrolls. Federal Reserve officials announced yesterday that they would maintain the central bank’s $85 billion in monthly asset purchases until the expansion shows further signs of strengthening. “Firms have just been very cautious in their hiring and they remain so,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities LLC in Stamford, Connecticut. Stanley projected a rise in claims to 346,000. Still, “by and large, the conditions in the labor market are pretty steady.” Stock-index futures held earlier losses after the report. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index maturing in September declined 0.9 percent to 1,609.6 at 8:45 a.m. in New York after the Fed said it may start paring stimulus measures later this year.

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