May Employment Up 559,000; Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.8%

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 559,000 in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday—up substantially from May’s tepid numbers but still below consensus expectations, as hiring slowly recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

ADP: Private Sector Adds 742,000 April Jobs

Ahead of this morning’s initial claims report and Friday’s employment report, ADP, Roseland, N.J., said private-sector employment increased by 742,000 jobs from March to April.

MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Falls 13th Straight Week

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest Forbearance and Call Volume Survey reported loans in forbearance decreased by 1 basis point to 4.18% of servicers’ portfolio volume as of May 23 from 4.19% the prior week–the 13th straight weekly decline. MBA estimates 2.1 million homeowners are in forbearance plans.

MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Falls 13th Straight Week

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest Forbearance and Call Volume Survey reported loans in forbearance decreased by 1 basis point to 4.18% of servicers’ portfolio volume as of May 23 from 4.19% the prior week–the 13th straight weekly decline. MBA estimates 2.1 million homeowners are in forbearance plans.

Supply Issues Hold Back April Housing Starts

Supply constraints continue to prevent a sizzling housing market from turning white-hot, with April housing starts falling by nearly 10 percent, HUD and the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.