- Homebase data point to rapid growth in private payrolls in September, but they are deeply flawed.
- Hospitality firms dominate the sample, and we have too little data to make good calendar adjustments.
- Data from Visa and Opentable signal that the control measure of retail sales rose further in August.
Samuel TombsUS
- Households have spent all their “excess” savings; liquid assets returned to their long-run trend in Q2.
- Bank deposits are more unevenly distributed than in the 2010s; rising unemployment will lift saving.
- Fed easing will be less stimulative than usual, due to mortgage refinancing during the pandemic.
Samuel TombsUS
PPI and CPI data suggest the August core PCE rose by about 0.14%, sustaining the slowdown.
Samuel TombsUS
- PPI and CPI data collectively point to a 0.14% increase in the August core PCE deflator.
- Slowing wage growth, a margin squeeze and lower energy prices will return core inflation to 2% in Q2.
- Jobless claims have fallen since July, but hiring is dropping faster; expect even lower job growth in Q4.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Don’t panic, it's noise not signal; the core PCE probably rose by about 0.22%.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The uptick in the core CPI in August largely was due to the reversal of erratic price falls in prior months.
- We expect smaller increases in primary rent, falling services inflation and flat goods prices through Q4.
- The CPI data tentatively imply a 0.22% core PCE, but will hone our forecast after today’s PPI data.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Punishingly high borrowing costs continuing to weigh on hiring and capex plans.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
- We look for a 0.3% rise in the August core CPI, driven by rebounds in hospital charges and airline fares.
- Underlying core services inflation probably continued to decline, while goods prices likely rose weakly.
- The rebounding CPI components don’t feed into the core PCE, but the Fed still looks set to ease by 25bp.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Households plan to sustain 5% annualized nominal spending growth, despite income gains of just 3%...
- ...That requires people to slash the saving rate to a record low 1%, during a worsening labor market.
- NFIB’s headline index probably dipped in August on political news, but capex plans likely worsened too.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The trend in private payrolls has halved to just 100K in six months; NFIB data signal further slowing.
- The August dip in unemployment was due to a jump in temporary layoffs unwinding; the trend is rising.
- FOMC members Waller and Williams don’t sense the urgency; expect only a 25bp easing this month.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- August unemployment has often surprised to the upside, perhaps due to shifting seasonality…
- …But continuing claims and state-level data suggest unemployment overshot its trend in July.
- Growth in unit labor costs is now running well below 2%, pointing to weak underlying inflation.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Homebase data point to strong August payrolls, but most other indicators signal another weak print.
- Our 125K forecast for private payrolls will be unaffected by ADP’s estimate today, whatever it says.
- Q3 GDP looks set to rise at a modest 1½% rate, despite recent momentum in real consumption.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Manufacturing on course for a fresh slump in Q3.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
- The details of the August ISM manufacturing survey are bleak, despite the uptick in the headline.
- Weakness in the manufacturing sector looks set to remain a small drag on payrolls and growth.
- The July JOLTS report will reinforce the message that the labor market is cooling.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
An unreliable bellwether for the national picture.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
Undershooting the Fed’s June core PCE forecast for the third straight month.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Housing market activity likely to remain very weak.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
Drag from trade on Q3 GDP growth likely to be offset elsewhere.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
The rising trend has flattened off; expect a run of lower numbers this fall.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
