A couple of weeks ago, we left off our discussion on the labor market with the conclusion that the labor market shifts were real and reflected underlying changes in both the demographics and demand for jobs. Knowing that, however, doesn’t tell us what is likely to happen in the future. So, let’s think through the factors that will determine just that.
News
Is the COVID Recession Over?
Yesterday was an interesting day. Yes, the headline declines in the stock market made it interesting, and that news is certainly part of it. Still, that kind of volatility is normal. We haven’t seen it for a while, but if you look back, it’s no big deal. In fact, markets are ticking back up again.
Monday Update: June Retail Sales Beat Expectations
Last week saw a number of important economic updates, with a focus on June’s inflation and retail sales reports. Retail sales were a highlight, as the pace of sales increased by more than expected during the month. This will be another busy week for updates, which will address the housing market, weekly initial jobless claims, and more.
Australia’s Love-Hate Relationship with China
Australia has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of China’s growth in the past several decades. China’s infrastructure spending after the last two crises—the great financial crisis and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic—created a demand for resources that was largely fulfilled by Australia. Indeed, this demand helped alleviate some of the pain for the Australian economy.
What Do Rising Medical Risks Mean for the Economic Outlook?
It was about three weeks ago that I ended the regular coronavirus updates as the medical news had improved sufficiently that the country had largely reopened and the virus was under control. Since then, unfortunately, we have seen infections tick back up, and it is clear that—from a medical perspective—the virus is still with us. Thus, this update discusses where we are now and what it might mean going forward.
What About Climate Change?
As regular readers know, I largely steer clear of politics. Political beliefs are largely beyond argument (on both sides), so it’s not a good use of time to put out arguments that go against someone’s convictions. Yet, in economics and markets, we do have to deal with the facts, as we saw recently with the pandemic. Regardless of where you stand on the vaccine, for example, the facts are what they are. And that is where we now find ourselves with climate change.
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Ashley has been working in the customer service field since she started her first job at age 16. For the past ten years she worked in an office setting handling accounts payable and receivable as well as some receptionist work. She is very excited to learn more about the investment field.
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