Is the U.S. economy sinking into a new recession? Or has another downturn already started? Tomorrow’s November update of the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) may provide a quantitative answer. In the October reading, CFNAI’s three-month moving average slipped to -0.56, the closest to the red line of -0.70 since the Great Recession ended. A fall below -0.70 would be considered a sign of an “increasing likelihood that a recession has begun,” according to the Chicago Fed. No one can dismiss the risk, but The Capital Spectator’s average econometric forecast anticipates a rebound that moves CFNAI’s 3-month average away from the brink: -0.26, or up from -0.56 in October.
Daily Archives: December 20, 2012
Jobless Claims Rise, But Remain Near 2012 Lows
Jobless claims increased by 17,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 361,000. The pop isn’t surprising, nor is it particularly worrisome at this point. As I noted earlier today, before the report’s release, my average econometric forecast called for a gain to 361,000. That’s exactly what we got—a freak incident of specificity, no doubt. In any case, the higher level of claims looks like noise within the range that’s prevailed for much of this year. As a result, today’s number, despite what you might hear otherwise, is mostly a yawn.
Weekly Jobless Claims: 15 Dec 2012 Preview
Today’s update on weekly jobless claims (scheduled for release at 8:30am eastern) is widely expected to post an increase after last week’s drop to just over a five-year low. The Capital Spectator’s average econometric forecast sees a rise to 361,000 new filings for unemployment benefits last week (seasonally adjusted) vs. the previously reported 343,000.