DECEMBER 15, 2025 – – INTEREST RATES REDUCED BY 25 BPS The FOMC brought interest rates down by 25 basis points at their final meeting of 2025. The benchmark rate is between 3.5 percent and 3.75 percent. The decision to reduce rates was widely expected, however, the decision was not unanimous. The vote to bring rates down by a quarter …
DECEMBER 8, 2025 – – UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS FALL, INFLATION 2.8 PERCENT Claims for unemployment benefits during the Thanksgiving week fell to the lowest level in more than three years. New claims came in at 191,000 down from the previous week’s claims of 218,000. Expectations were for 221,000. The data may not be accurate due to the holiday-shortened week, but is …
December 1, 2025 — Consumer Confidence and Private Payrolls Fall
DECEMBER 1, 2025 – – CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AND PRIVATE PAYROLLS FALL The Consumer Confidence Index for November fell to its lowest level since April, missing economists’ expectations. Those surveyed expressed concern about finding work and the economy in general. Consumers’ inflation expectations in the report rose to 4.8 percent. In a separate release, ADP, the payroll processing company, said private …
November 24, 2025 — December Rate Cut Uncertain
NOVEMBER 24, 2025 – – DECEMBER RATE CUT UNCERTAIN With inflation holding stubbornly above the Fed’s 2 percent target, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Susan Collins, said she sees no strong need for another interest rate cut in December. She feels the two rate cuts since August have the central bank in a position that puts …
November 17, 2025 — Government Reopens, Data Releases Expected
NOVEMBER 17, 2025 – – GOVERNMENT REOPENS, DATA RELEASES EXPECTED Many of the federal government’s furloughed employees returned to work last week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is planning to release the September jobs report this week, but accurate October inflation and employment numbers may not be available for a while, if at all. The Bureau of Labor Statistics may …
November 10, 2025 — Consumer Confidence Falls
NOVEMBER 10, 2025 – – CONSUMER CONFIDENCE FALLS Due to the ongoing government shutdown, economic data collection and releases have been interrupted. The market has turned to the consumer confidence data released by the University of Michigan to gauge the state of the economy. Worries over the government shutdown have driven consumer confidence to a three-year low. The index dropped …
November 3, 2025 — Rates Come Down 0.25 Percent
NOVEMBER 3, 2025 – – RATES COME DOWN 0.25 PERCENT The Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points last week, bringing the federal funds rate into the range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent. The decision was expected, but the surprise came from Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks that a further rate cut, largely expected for December, is not …
October 27, 2025 — Inflation is 3 Percent, Rates to Come Down
OCTOBER 27, 2025 – – INFLATION IS 3 PERCENT, RATES TO COME DOWN The consumer price index for September was released, it came in at 0.3 percent for the month, or 3 percent annually. Both numbers were lower than expected, which will keep the Fed on track to lower rates this week. Excluding the volatile food and energy prices, the …
October 20, 2025 — Fed on Track to Lower Rates Next Week
OCTOBER 20, 2025 – – FED ON TRACK TO LOWER RATES NEXT WEEK Fed Chair Jerome Powell spoke at a conference last week where he expressed concerns about inflation and the weakening labor market. The central bank is trying to balance the two areas which call for competing policy steps. Inflation is increasing gradually, while supply and demand in the …
October 13, 2025 — Workers Return to Provide Key Economic Data
OCTOBER 13, 2025 – – WORKERS RETURN TO PROVIDE KEY ECONOMIC DATA The consumer price index for September is due out this week, and furloughed government workers have been called back in to the compile the data. It is expected to be released a week late on October 24, ahead of the Fed’s meeting set for October 28-29. The data …