- Private payroll growth slowed sharply in Q2; revisions could easily worsen the picture.
- Tight monetary policy is the primary cause; employment growth will slow further in Q3.
- Wage growth now is consistent with the 2% inflation target; the Fed will ease multiple times in H2.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- We’re sticking with our forecast that payrolls rose by 160K in June, below the 190K consensus.
- The unemployment rate likely was unchanged at 4.0%, but large sampling error creates uncertainty.
- Neither the ISM or S&P services PMI is clearly better than the other; the truth likely lies between the two.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Chair Powell sounds more optimistic on inflation, but wants to see no further rise in unemployment.
- We expect initial claims above the consensus for the fifth time in six weeks; summer data will be volatile.
- The June ISM services survey will probably provide further signs of disinflation ahead.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Revisions to Homebase data and the latest business surveys support our 125K private payrolls forecast.
- High rates are increasingly subduing construction; private fixed investment likely was unchanged in Q2.
- Manufacturing continues to struggle, with little sign of that changing anytime soon.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Real consumption set for another 1.5% increase in Q2; a rising saving rate will slow growth further soon.
- The 0.08% core PCE print was driven by noisy components, but underlying services inflation eased too.
- We look for another sub-50 ISM manufacturing index in June; tight monetary policy is preventing a revival.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- We’re are lowering our Q2 GDP forecast to 1.0%, from 1.5%, due to May’s poor trade and orders data.
- We estimate that the core PCE deflator rose by just 0.11% in May; a run of sluggish increases beckons.
- Real consumption likely rose by 0.3% in May, with growth of less than 2% looking likely for this quarter.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- We look for a small dip in initial claims to 235K, due to Juneteenth, but the trend still is rising.
- May’s durable goods orders likely will point to a big drag on Q2 GDP growth from equipment investment.
- Net trade also looks set to weight heavily on Q2 growth, even if the goods trade deficit narrowed slightly in May.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The latest services surveys point to lower underlying inflation and a further slowdown in wage growth.
- New home sales probably dipped in May, reflecting the rise in mortgage rates since the start of the year.
- Conference Board confidence data signal slower spending growth and rising unemployment.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Shipping costs have rocketed, but they likely will add less than 0.1pp to core PCE inflation next year.
- The spike in shipping costs probably will unwind after tariff-related risks have abated.
- Consumer confidence likely dropped in June, with adverse implications for consumption growth.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Falling hirings and rising firings are a toxic combination; job growth looks set to slow sharply.
- May building permits suggest residential construction spending is falling at a 10% annualized pace.
- Existing home sales likely were unchanged in May; Fed rate cuts will facilitate only a sluggish recovery.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Rent rises for new tenants have slowed sharply; the feared catch-up in CPI rent inflation is unlikely.
- We expect annualized CPI housing inflation to slow to 3-to-4% over the next few quarters.
- Q2 consumption is on course for a modest 2%, similar to Q1, after May's lacklustre retail sales data.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Our Homebase model points to a mere 125K rise in private payrolls in June, the least since October.
- Retail sales likely recovered in May from a subpar April, but the trend looks less robust.
- Industrial production likely picked up in May; surveys have nudged up and hours worked have risen.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The CPI and PPI data imply that the core PCE deflator rose by just 0.11% in May…
- …Below the 0.19% average run rate forecast by the Fed; September’s SEP update will support a rate cut.
- The Michigan sentiment index probably bounced this month, but job loss worries seem to be mounting.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The Fed’s hawkish dotplot is likely to have a short shelf life; the data will force faster easing than they expect.
- The May core CPI slowdown was deep-rooted; we expect just 0.20% average gains through year-end.
- CPI data signal a 0.16% rise in the core PCE deflator, but we will finalize our estimate after today’s PPI.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The high core PCE prints in Q1 will force the Fed to revise up its Q4 forecast, and cut one easing.
- A jump in used car and vehicle insurance prices probably drove a 0.3% increase in the May core CPI...
- ...But core services CPI inflation likely slowed further, indicating monetary policy is tight enough.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The NY Fed survey shows wage growth and long-run inflation expectations are in line with the 2010s.
- People plan to spend 5% more over the next year, but expectations correlate poorly with actual spending.
- Tight credit conditions are weighing heavily on small firms, an ominous sign for the economy at large.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The Homebase data were revised as we expected, so we are sticking with our 180K May payroll forecast.
- Rising jobless claims and the NFIB’s very weak hiring intentions index signal soft summer payrolls.
- We look for a 0.3% rise in average hourly earnings; a calendar quirk points to slight upside risk.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- We expect EURUSD to weaken by 8% to 1.18 by year-end, as the Fed eases faster than the ECB.
- Initial claims likely rose last week; public holidays depress them less now than seasonal adjustment assumes.
- The ISM services index is an unreliable guide to activity, but a weak employment balance points to trouble ahead.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The drop in the Atlanta Fed Q2 GDPNow estimate says very little; it's still far more model than tracking.
- April's JOLTS report brings further signs of labor market normalization. Lower wage growth is likely to follow.
- ADP's data and the employment index of the ISM services survey are hopeless indicators of payrolls.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The quits rate likely remained just below its 2015-to-19 average in April, signalling slower ECI growth ahead.
- Construction spending has stagnated this year, the boom in S&L and manufacturing spending is over.
- The ISM manufacturing slipped again in May. And a plunge in new orders signals more bad news ahead.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US