Home builders liked what they saw in August—HUD and the Census Bureau said August housing starts rose by nearly 4 percent from July, almost entirely by multifamily activity, and by more than 17 percent from a year ago.
Tag: Wells Fargo Economics

Employers Add 235,000 August Jobs
U.S. employers added 235,000 jobs in August—considerably below July’s massive 1.05 million job gain—as the economy struggled to hold momentum amid rising Delta variant coronavirus cases, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

Consumer Confidence Falls to 7-Month Low
The Conference Board, New York, said its Consumer Confidence Index fell for the second consecutive month to its lowest level since February.

2nd Quarter GDP Stays Hot; Corporate Profits Surge
Real gross domestic product continued its hot pace in the second quarter, according to the second (revised) estimate released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

July New Home Sales Post 1% Increase
New single‐family home sales posted a modest 1 percent increase in July amid more signs of a stabilizing housing market, HUD and the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.

Existing Home Sales Post Modest July Increase
Existing home sales rose for the second straight month to their highest level since March, the National Association of Realtors reported Monday.

July Leading Economic Index Sees 3rd Consecutive Increase
The Conference Board, New York, said its Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased by 0.9 percent in July to 116.0, following a 0.5 percent increase in June and a 1.2 percent increase in May.

Unemployment Insurance Claims Down Another 29,000
Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell by 29,000 last week, moving closer to pre-pandemic levels, the Labor Department said Thursday.

July Housing Starts Fall 7%
July housing starts fell by 7 percent, the Census Bureau reported yesterday, a disappointing result as home builders continue to be hamstrung by pipeline and labor shortages.

Hiring Heats Up in July
The labor market surged again in July with 943,000 new jobs created, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.