Tag Archives: Jobs

Freddie Mac released last week its latest Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi), revealing a 0.5 percent uptick in September to a reading of 74.4 after months of slight declines. The most recent improvement puts the index a few points short of the lower threshold for a market considered to be in "stable" territory.

Looking at economic and housing market indicators in the second quarter, Arch Mortgage Insurance Company (Arch MI) says the odds of a decline in home prices in the next two years on the national level are 13 percent, down from 15 percent in the company's summer estimate.

A report released recently by the Pew Research Center indicates that while the U.S. unemployment rate is low, the number of people who are "not in the labor force," meaning they are not counted among the unemployed in the BLS survey, is near an all-time high.

Deloitte's Consumer Spending Index, a gauge of cash flow as a measure of future spending, came in at 4.1 in the firm's October reading, down from 4.4 in September. The biggest contribution to October's decline was new home prices, which fell 9.8 percent month-over-month to a median $109,000.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment registered 89.4 in a mid-month reading, the best showing since July 2007. Economists had forecast the measure would hit 87.5, with some predicting as high as 89.

Freddie's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, shows the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) coming in at an average interest rate of 4.01 percent (0.5 point) for the week ending November 13, just down from last week's average of 4.02 percent.

The Federal Reserve's Labor Market Conditions Index (LMCI) rose 4 points last month, the central bank reported, matching September's revised improvement. The index covers 19 separate indicators, including the national unemployment rate, average hourly earnings, and the transition rate from unemployment to employment.

U.S. employers added 214,000 jobs last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday morning. Economists had expected payrolls would increase by 240,000, a slight decline from September's preliminary estimate of 248,000 new jobs added.

The number of jobs in the private sector increased by 230,000 from September to October, according to the latest report from ADP. October's growth was the highest since June and the second highest so far this year, said ADP's president and CEO, Carlos Rodriguez.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment climbed to 86.9 in its final October reading, up from 84.6 in September and 73.2 last year. October's index was the highest since July 2007, the group conducting the survey reported.