News in end use


U.S. Nonfarm Payroll Increases by 210,000 in November, Unemployment Declines to 4.2%

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today (12-3-21) that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 210,000 in November. This growth follows increases of 531,000 in October, 194,000 in September, 235,000 in August, 1.1 million in July, and 962,000 in June. Nonfarm payroll employment has increased by 18.5 million since April 2020 but is down by -3.9 million.

Challenger Reports U.S. Job Cuts Declined in November to their Lowest Monthly Total Since May 1993

According to the latest released Job Cut Report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas (CG&C), Inc, a global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm, U.S. based employers announced job cuts fell by -34.8% in November to 14,875 from 22,822 in October. This is the lowest monthly total since May 1993, when 14,086 were reported. November’s total is -77% lower year-over-year (Nov. 2021 vs. Nov. 2020), when 64,797 cuts were announced.

Weekly Jobless Claims Increase in the Week Ending November 27, 2021

The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 222,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, November 27, 2021. This is an increase of 28,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The 4-week moving average was 238,750 — a decrease of 12,250 from the previous week’s revised average.

Construction Spending Up Month-Over-Month and Year-Over-Year in October

On Wednesday (12-1-21), The U.S. Census Bureau reported that total construction spending during October 2021 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $1,598.0 billion, 0.2% above the revised September estimate of $1,594.8 billion. The October figure is 8.6% above the October 2020 estimate of $1,471.1 billion.

Mortgage Applications Decline Sharply in Week Ending November 26, 2021

According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Application Survey (WMAS), for the week ending November 26, 2021, which includes adjustments for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Market Composite Index (a measure of mortgage loan application volume) decreased -7.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.