Morning Outlook

Here we go! It is jobs Friday to end the first week of September. Lets see if we can continue the hot streak of into the Labor Day weekend. The real economy is jobs and paychecks, what people buy and what they sell. To do all this, people need jobs! The countdown is on to the August Employment Situation. So far in premarket action, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 5, or 0.1 percent, to 10,314. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 0.90, or 0.1 percent, to 1,090.50, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 5.00, or 0.3 percent, to 1,842.25. I don’t think expectations are that high. If we can meet or beat those expectations, despite a negative number, combined with the manufacturing data this week, could elevate double dip fears.

Wow was I wrong about the action on the street this week. Traders said forget about standing still, lets make a move! Stocks rose Thursday, extending their gains from the day before, after reports on housing, manufacturing and jobs all indicated that the economy continues to grow. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 50.63, or 0.5 percent, to close at 10,320.10. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 9.81, or 0.9 percent, to 1,090.10, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 23.17, or 1.1 percent, to 2,200.01.

Currencies and Commodities

The dollar rose 0.2136% at 84.4550 yen in the currency market. The euro appreciated 0.1170% at $1.2840, while the pound gained 0.0468% to $1.5408. Gold climbed 80 cents to $1254.20, while silver rose 0.14% at $19.70. Light, sweet crude for October delivery fell 57 cents at $74.45 per barrel on the NYMEX; a 0.76% decline following two days of gains.

Economic Calendar

8:30 AM
Employment Situation: The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators. The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Nonfarm payroll employment counts the number of paid employees working part-time or full-time in the nation’s business and government establishments. The average workweek reflects the number of hours worked in the nonfarm sector. Average hourly earnings reveal the basic hourly rate for major industries as indicated in nonfarm payrolls. Analysts expect 90,000 jobs to have been lost in August, while the unemployment rate rises from 9.5% to 9.6%.The range goes as low as 160K following the disappointing private sector report.

The average hourly work week is suppose to hold steady at 34.2 hours. Once again, we would like to see an increase in the work week and in temporary help, which are all precursors to further full time employment. We are going in the wrong direction here as we enter a soft spot in the recovery, this report could be seen the as the one that sends this economy back down.

10:00
ISM Non-Manufacturing Index: A compilation from 60 non manufacturing sectors across the economic spectrum. The index helps gauge strengths and weaknesses within the economy. The composite index for the month of August is expected to have a reading of 53 ; the composite index from the ISM non-manufacturing rose 0.5 points to 54.3 in July. Most of the data leading up to the service sector report has shown month over month declines, so while we should still see a reading above 50 indicating expansion, it most likely is not as robust.

Market Summary

Wall Street overcame another disappointing Employment Situation for the month of July, with the blue chips overcoming 100 plus point losses earlier in the session to close only slightly in the red. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 21.42 points, or 0.2 percent, at 10,653.56. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 4.17, or 0.4 percent, to 1,121.64, while the Nasdaq composite index lostl 4.59, or 0.2 percent, to 2,288.47. The greenback is getting hammered as the dog days of summer have shown the weaknesses within the economy ahead of the next Fed meeting. The dollar index has declined for nine consecutive weeks. In the bond market, the 10 year treasury fell 9 basis points to 2.82 percent, matching the April 2009 level as the stock market was in the early stages of a historic rally.

Like ILive has said, volume this time of year is always on the low side as traders and investors escape to enjoy the last weeks of summer. This is only magnified due to the current economic climate. Economic news has been on the decline along with market sentiment. With things seemingly in limbo, many expect the markets to just chug along until a firmer economic direction is set. Only 3.9 billion shares were traded on the exchange Friday.

Another Month, More Net Job Losses

According to the Labor Department’s July Employment Situation, nonfarm payrolls declined by 131,000 jobs last month, compared with a drop of 70,000 forecasted by economists. The economy lost a revised 221,000 jobs in June. Private payrolls that exclude government agencies rose by 71,000 in July, less than the 100K consensus, after a gain of 31,000 in June that was smaller than first reported. The jobless rate stayed at 9.5 percent however despite the job cuts in the public sector. Of the 202K jobs lost in the month, 143,000 came from a drop in Census Bureau payrolls. The unemployment rate had been expected to rise to 9.6 percent.

Good-producing rose 33,000 with manufacturing up 36,000, mining up 7,000, and construction down 11,000. Services-providing jobs rose 38,000 with strength led by health care, up 27, 000, and transportation & warehousing, up 12,000.

The report was plain old meh, and that has been the story of almost every piece of economic data over the past few months. The unemployment rate will no doubt remain at current levels over the remainder of 2010, and unless any positive shock to the economy comes along, we could be at current levels through the for the foreseeable future.

Quote of the Week

“The tax code we have is proof we’re not an intelligent people,” Paul O’Neill – Former Treasury Secretary, senior adviser and consultant to New York-based Blackstone Group LP.

Morning Outlook

All jobs all the time as the first Friday of the month brings us the Employment Situation. The premarket is as exciting as it gets for us financial geeks, especially in times like these. Things are pretty quiet to this point, but the excitement is building and futures will definitely react once the report hits. While the market will be looking at the private payroll data, an uptick in the unemployment rate will be a psychological challenge for the consumer to overcome, and we need consumer spending to spark demand. So far in premarket trading, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 6, or 0.1 percent, to 10,641. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures climbed 1.00, or 0.1 percent, to 1,124.50, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 2.00, or 0.1 percent, to 1,899.00. Not much movement in either direction until 8:30…

Equities came off of their lows of the session Thursday to finish only slightly lower. The DJIA fell 5.45, or 0.1 percent, to 10,674.98, with eight of the thirty blue chips higher on the session, led by Caterpillar Inc (CAT), United Technologies Corp (UTX) and Procter & Gamble Co (PG). Financials hit the broader market as the Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 1.43, or 0.1 percent, to 1,125.81, while the Nasdaq composite index declined 10.51, or 0.5 percent, to 2,293.06.

Currencies and Commodities

The dollar rose 0.0224% at 85.8390 yen in the currency market. The euro depreciated 0.1081% at $1.3174, while the pound lost 0.1227% to $1.5877. Gold fell $2.10 to $1197.20, while silver rose 0.13% at $18.34. Light, sweet crude for September delivery was down 23 cents at $81.78 per barrel on the NYMEX, unable to reverse a two day skid ahead of the employment data.

Economic Calendar

8:30 AM
Employment Situation: The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators. The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Nonfarm payroll employment counts the number of paid employees working part-time or full-time in the nation’s business and government establishments. The average workweek reflects the number of hours worked in the nonfarm sector. Average hourly earnings reveal the basic hourly rate for major industries as indicated in nonfarm payrolls. Analysts expect 70,000 jobs to have been lost in July, while the unemployment rate rises from 9.5% to 9.6%.The range goes as low as 150K as census workers hit the road. Private sector payrolls are expected are expected to increase by 100K, up 17 thousand from June.

The average hourly work week is suppose to hold steady at 34.1 hours. Once again, we would like to see an increase in the work week and in temporary help, which are all precursors to further full time employment. We are going in the wrong direction here as we enter a soft spot in the recovery, this report could be seen the as the one that sends this economy back down.Wages are expected to rise by 20 basis points, a big improvement from the 10 basis point decline in June.

Market Summary

It was a jobs Friday, with a choppy premarket session following the release of the Employment Situation for June. We had an initial uptick as it wasn’t as bad as some had feared, however the market fell as it was still worse than estimates with all signs pointing to stagnation, and possible deflation throughout the end of 2010. By the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial average fell 46.05, or 0.5 percent, to 9,686.48, The Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 4.79, or 0.5 percent, to 1,022.58, while the Nasdaq composite index declined 9.57, or 0.5 percent to 2,091.79. Major averages did come off of their 1 plus percent losses in midday trading.

It was another troubling week for Wall Street as investors have been pricing in a double dip and the technicals are all going against the broader market. On the week, the blue chips dropped 4.5 percent. The S&P 500 index lost 5 percent, while the Nasdaq dropped 5.9 percent. The Russell dropped 7.2 percent for the week.

There is so much uncertainty facing the country and we need some clarity. The president needs to revise his budget for fiscal year 2011 as we can not have ANY tax increases and we need to make that clear now.

Crude oil fell 81 cents to $72.14 per barrel on the NYMEX, while bond prices rose, sending yields down. There is no crisis of confidence in the greenback, and I dont see the bond market having a fit with more government stimulus to fix the structural problems within the economy.

Economic Rundown

Payroll jobs in June fell back 125,000 after advancing a revised census full 433,000 in May and after a 313,000 jump in April. The June decrease matched the market forecast for a 125,000 decline. Private nonfarm employment increased 83,000, following a 33,000 rise in May. The latest figure fell short of analysts’ projection for a 105,000 advance in private payrolls. It is all about private sector jobs, and Q2 lagged Q1 in hiring.

The private sector gain was led by a 91,000 boost in private service-providing jobs. This included professional & business services, up 46,000, and leisure & hospitality, up 37,000. The goods-producing sector lost a net 8,000 payrolls with construction down 22,000. Manufacturing posted a 9,000 gain while mining & logging advanced 5,000. Manufacturing has risen three months in a row.

The big weakness, of course, was a 208,000 drop in government jobs after a 400,000 jump in May. The decline included the loss of 225,000 temporary employees working on Census 2010.

There other signs of a slowing in the labor market according to closely watched metrics. Growth in average hourly earnings fell by 0.1 percent following a 0.2 percent boost in May. The average workweek for all workers edged down to 34.1 hours compared to 34.2 hours in May. The market forecast was for 34.2 hours. The usually trend is an increase in the workweek and wages, followed by additional temp staffers before full time employed workers. We didn’t get any positives from this as wages and workweek both fell.

The good news at face value in the June report was that the unemployment rate to 9.5 percent in June from 9.7 percent in May. However, the decrease was due to a sharp drop in the labor force. Economists had expected it to rise to 9.8 percent.

Morning Outlook

Futures are up slightly in he premarket, with very modest gains as investors await the release of the June Employment Situation. Economic data has disappointed the last month plus, and what a way to turn it around this would be. However, we live in a world called reality and this is going to be a tough number. A good sign early on the street is that the euro is once again advancing, moving above the $1.25 handle. The commodities market is also awaiting this report, and be sure that yields would continue to decline. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 27, or 0.28 percent, to 9,671. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 1.50, or 0.2 percent, to 1,023.30, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 5.00, or 0.3 percent, to 1,733.00. This report is so huge, all eyes will be focused and the reaction should be intense.

Wall Street started Q3 the way Q2 left off, closing lower despite making a comeback after an early morning decline. By the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial average fell 41.49, or 0.4 percent, to 9,732.53 after being down over 150 points. It was the sixth straight drop, bringing the index to its October 2009 low. The S&P 500 index fell 3.34, or 0.3 percent, to 1,027.37, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 7.88, or 0.4 percent, to 2,101.36. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 5.30, or 0.9 percent, to 604.19.

Currencies and Commodities

The dollar fell 0.1227% at 87.4950 yen in the currency market. The euro appreciated 0.2163% at $1.2554, while the pound gained 0.2462% to $1.5214. Gold climbed 50 cents to $1207.20, while silver rose 0.87% at $17.94. Light, sweet crude for August delivery was flat at $72.95 per barrel on the NYMEX.

Economic Calendar

8:30 AM
Employment Situation: The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators. The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Nonfarm payroll employment counts the number of paid employees working part-time or full-time in the nation’s business and government establishments. The average workweek reflects the number of hours worked in the nonfarm sector. Average hourly earnings reveal the basic hourly rate for major industries as indicated in nonfarm payrolls. Analysts expect 125,000 jobs to have been lost in June, while the unemployment rate rises from 9.7% to 9.8%.The range goes as low as 200K following the disappointing private sector report and the end of census hirings.

The average hourly work week is suppose to hold steady at 34.2 hours. Once again, we would like to see an increase in the work week and in temporary help, which are all precursors to further full time employment. We are going in the wrong direction here as we enter a soft spot in the recovery, this report could be seen the as the one that sends this economy back down.

10:00 AM
Factory Orders: Represent the dollar level of new orders for both durable and nondurable goods. The consensus is for a decline of 0.5% for the month of May. There was an increase in April of 1.2%.

Morning Outlook

Futures are sharply lower in the premarket Friday as traders await the monthly job numbers from the Labor Department. We are also seeing other negative indicators for equities, as the euro hit a new four year low against the greenback. Crude is also heading lower on renewed concerns over sovereign debt with Hungary being added to the mix, showing that the crisis is not limited to the euro-zone. Currently, Dow Jones industrial average futures are down 74, or 0.7 percent, to 10,184. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures fell 9.10, or 0.8 percent, to 1,094.50, while Nasdaq 100 index futures dropped 15.50, or 0.8 percent, to 1,882.25.

Wall Street is coming off of back to back gains heading into today’s session. The Dow Jones Industrials rose 5.74, or 0.1 percent, to 10,255.28, the first back to back advance for the blue chips in over a month. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 4.45, or 0.4 percent, to 1,102.83, while the tech heavy Nasdaq composite index advanced 21.96, or 1 percent, to 2,303.03. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 6.85, or 1 percent, to 667.37

Currencies and Commodities

The dollar fell 0.1666% at 92.5550 yen in the currency market. The euro depreciated 0.9513% at $1.2047, while the pound dropped 0.3182% to $1.4568. Gold lost $7 to $1203, while silver tumbled 0.73% at $17.80. Light, sweet crude fell 59 cents to $74.02 per barrel on the NYMEX; a 0.79% decline.

Economic Calendar

8:30 AM
Employment Situation: The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators. The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Nonfarm payroll employment counts the number of paid employees working part-time or full-time in the nation’s business and government establishments. The average workweek reflects the number of hours worked in the nonfarm sector. Average hourly earnings reveal the basic hourly rate for major industries as indicated in nonfarm payrolls. Analysts expect 540,000 jobs to have been gained in May, while the unemployment rate falls from 9.9% to 9.8%.The range goes as low as 225K and upwards of 625K.

The average hourly work week is suppose to hold steady at 34.1 hours. Once again, we would like to see an increase in the work week and in temporary help, which are all precursors to further full time employment. We just have so far to go to move that unemployment rate down it is truly staggering.

Market Summary

Come join us in chat so you don’t sound like one of those pathetic callers on Mad Money crying and still trying to recover the losses they have absorbed since 2007!

Wall Street is in a downward spiral, no ifs ands or buts about it. Thanks Europe. While our domestic economy is improving, the contagion effects of the sovereign debt crisis in the EU have created a mass panic. The ECB is no Federal Reserve, and I don’t have any confidence in their decision making. Europe is a huge trade partner of the U.S., and could very well cause a double dip here in the world’s largest economy and reverse the improvements we have seen over the past year. Gold is back in favor, hitting a five month high.

The April Employment Situation was completely overshadowed by the amazing day of trading on Thursday. At the closing bell on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 139.89 points, or 1.3%, to 10380.43. The S&P 500 Index declined 17.27 points, or 1.5%, to 1,110.88, while the Nasdaq Composite Index shed 54 points, or 2.3%, to 2,265.64

For the week, the blue chips lost 5.7 percent, the S&P lost 6.4 percent, and the tech heavy Nasdaq tumbled 8 percent. What a week to start May!

FDIC Staying Busy

Friday brought about the seizure of four banks in four states, Florida, Minnesota, Arizona and California. So far in 2010, we have seen 68 bank failures on the year, twice the rate of 2009 when 140 banks bit the dust. The cost of the failures on Friday will cost the FDIC roughly $200 million. Are these any of your banks?

The Bank of Bonifay: $242.9 million in assets and $230.2 million in deposits
Access Bank:$32 million in assets and $32 million in deposits
Towne Bank of Arizona: $120.2 million in assets and $113.2 million in deposits
1st Pacific Bank of California: $335.8 million in assets and $291.2 million in deposits

Employment Situation Impresses Economists

The unemployment rate rose for the right reason. Instead of shedding jobs, employers added 290,000 jobs in April, the strongest showing since 2007, following a revised 230,000 advance in March, and 39,000 rise in February. The street was only expecting roughly 200K net job gain. The nations unemployment rate rose from 9.7 percent to 9.9 percent. The reason the unemployment rate went up is that a lot more people are suddenly looking for work. The government said that the labor force swelled by 805,000 people in April. That’s more than three times the number of new jobs, so the proportion of people looking for a job but unable to find one went up. So the population feels as though the labor market is improving, and hopefully that will translate into increased consumer confidence and spending. Average hourly earnings were flat in April, following a 0.1 percent dip in March, which was a definite red flag in the report.

Morning Outlook

There are so many questions going into Friday’s session, it should be fun! Yesterday, markets tanked in a full blown correction, or was it trader error? The Nasdaq came out last night cancelling trades executed between 2:40 and 3 that had greater than a 60 percent variation from their consolidated price before the selloff. How can any sucker want to invest with buy and hold strategy when they are being played for fools?! We have the volatility to worry about, we have Europe to worry about, and we have the Employment Situation for April coming later in the premarket which no one is talking about after yesterday’s action. So far, futures are up on the word that these trades would be cancelled as a lot of shorts are covering. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 75, or 0.7 percent, to 10,532. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 10.50, or 0.9 percent, to 1,132.90, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 20.00, or 1.1 percent, to 1,906.00.

When all was said and done, major averages rebounded sharply off of their session lows. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 347.80 points, or 3.20 percent, to 10,520.32 after being down nearly 1K. It was the largest intraday move in history. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 37.75 points, or 3.24 percent, to 1,128.15 as all 10 sectors fell, led by financials. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 82.65 points, or 3.44 percent, to 2,319.64

Currencies and Commodities

The dollar rose 0.2486% at 94.7750 yen in the currency market. The euro appreciated 0.9455% at $1.2739, while the pound dropped 1.0431% to $1.4678. Following yesterday’s sharp gains gold rose 60 cents to $1197.90, while silver gained 1.08% at $17.70. Light, sweet crude rose 67 cents to $77.78 per barrel on the NYMEX; a 0.87% gain as black gold looks to recover the some $10 that the June contract has lost over the past week.

Economic Calendar

8:30 AM
Employment Situation: The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators. The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Nonfarm payroll employment counts the number of paid employees working part-time or full-time in the nation’s business and government establishments. The average workweek reflects the number of hours worked in the nonfarm sector. Average hourly earnings reveal the basic hourly rate for major industries as indicated in nonfarm payrolls. Analysts expect 180,000 jobs to have been gained in April, while the unemployment rate rises from holds steady at 9.7%.

The average hourly work week is suppose to increase slightly from 33.3 hours to 34. Once again, we would like to see an increase in the work week and in temporary help, which are all precursors to further full time employment. We just have so far to go to move that unemployment rate down it is truly staggering.

Stocks got pummeled yesterday on Wall Street and around the globe. Debt and economic fears sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 268.37, or 2.6 percent, to 10,002.18. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 34.17, or 3.1 percent, to 1,063.11, while the tech heavy Nasdaq composite index slid 65.48, or 3 percent, to 2,125.43. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 20.98, or 3.4 percent, to 589.68.

Morning Outlook

Wall Street is heading sharply lower once again Friday as the market awaits the critically important jobs report. Debt fears continue around the globe and have made there was to U.S. markets over the past few days. So far in premarket action, Dow Jones industrial average futures tumbled 63, or 0.6 percent, to 9,916. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures dropped 7.80, or 0.7 percent, to 1,053.90, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 4.75, or 0.3 percent, to 1,730.00. The market is in free fall since the 15 month highs were hit in mid January.

Regardless of the jobs reading this morning, the Labor Department is expected to revise their jobs figures for the past year totalling some 800,000 additional jobs have been lost. We have now lost nearly 8 million positions since the start of the recession in December 2007, over two years ago. To get the unemployment rate to 6 percent, the economy would have to have a net job gain of about 200,000 every month until 2016. It is staggering figures like this that create the new normal of unemployment at around 7 percent.

We are just a few good reading from turning the whole mood and narrative of the country around. However I dont think today will be the start.

Currencies and Commodities

The greenback is soaring in trading this morning, proving once again that despite our massive debt levels, it is the true reserve currency and safe haven for investors. The dollar rose 0.4604% at 89.465 yen in the currency market. The euro depreciated 0.1939% to $1.3696 while the pound lost 0.4062% to $1.5690. Gold fell $7.70 to $1055.30 an ounce, while silver dropped 1.27% at $15.15. Light, sweet crude for March delivery fell 6 cents to $73.08 per barrel on the NYMEX; a 0.08% decline.

Economic Calendar

8:30 AM
Employment Situation: The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators. The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Nonfarm payroll employment counts the number of paid employees working part-time or full-time in the nation’s business and government establishments. The average workweek reflects the number of hours worked in the nonfarm sector. Average hourly earnings reveal the basic hourly rate for major industries as indicated in nonfarm payrolls. Analysts expect 5,000 jobs to have been gained in January, while the unemployment rate rises from 10% to 10.1%.

The average hourly work week is suppose to remain level at 33.2 hours. Once again, we would like to see an increase in the work week and in temporary help, which are all precursors to further full time employment.

Wall Street finished mixed on Thursday in uneven trading, as traders positioned themselves for Friday’s jobs report. Hitting new 15 month highs, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.18, or 0.3 percent, to 10,606.86, while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 4.55, or 0.4 percent, to 1,141.69. Tech was the laggard on the day as the Nasdaq composite index slipped 1.04, or 0.1 percent, to 2,300.05

Morning Outlook

Stocks markets around the world are up Friday morning as traders await the premarket government jobs report in the U.S. Many are hoping to see the first monthly job gains in two years. We ave a long way to go to get back where we were a few years ago, but you have to start somewhere! To me, the more important question is will we actually see hiring in the near future rather than just not losing jobs. Worker productivity is at record highs, while employment satisfaction is at record lows.

So far in premarket action, blue chip futures rose 9, or 0.1 percent, to 10,554. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 0.50, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,138.00, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 2.00, or 0.1 percent, to 1,879.50. This is such a sharp reversal from prior months where we saw negative trading heading into the report. The optimism is definately high, and I hope the report delivers.

Currencies and Commodities

The greenback was mixed against other currencies, while commodities fell on the mercantile exchange. The dollar fell 0.1165% at 93.257 yen in the currency market. The euro depreciated 0.1059% to $1.4293 while the pound rose 0.3937% to $1.5996. Gold lost $11.10 to $1122.60 an ounce, while silver tumbled 1.14% at $18.13. Light, sweet crude for February delivery fell 30 cents to $82.36 per barrel on the NYMEX; a 0.36%.

Economic Calendar

8:30 AM
Employment Situation: The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators. The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Nonfarm payroll employment counts the number of paid employees working part-time or full-time in the nation’s business and government establishments. The average workweek reflects the number of hours worked in the nonfarm sector. Average hourly earnings reveal the basic hourly rate for major industries as indicated in nonfarm payrolls. Analysts expect a wash in December, while the unemployment rate rises from 10% to 10.1%. The range goes from a loss of 50,000 jobs in the month to a gain of 40,000.

In addition, lets see if we can get an improvement with other labor market indicators, including average hourly work week, and an increase in average hourly earnings.

3:00 PM
Consumer Credit: Measures the value of consumer credit outstanding. Changes in consumer credit indicate the state of the consumer’s finances and can forecast their future spending patterns. Credit availability is tight in the current environment at the same time as households cut back and deleverage their finances. The consensus for Novvember is a decline of $5 billion, after credit contracted $3.5 billion the prior month. This would be the 10th consecutive monthly contraction.