The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 340,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, August 28, 2021. This is a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week’s revised level and the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020, when it was 256,000.
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Challenger Reports August Job Cuts -86% Lower Year-Over-Year and the Lowest Level Since June of 1997
According to the latest Job Cut Report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas (CG&C) Inc., a global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm, U.S. based employers announced 15,723 job cuts in August, down -17% from the 18,942 cuts announced in July. August 2021’s total is the lowest since in June 1997, when 15,091 job cuts were announced.
Total U.S. July Construction Spending 0.3% Higher Month-Over-Month and 9.0% Higher Year-Over-Year
The U.S. Census Bureau has announced that total construction spending during July 2021 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $1,568.8 billion, 0.3% above the revised June estimate of $1,563.4 billion. The July figure is 9.0% above the July 2020 estimate of $1,439.6 billion.
Mortgage Applications Drop -2.4% in the Week Ending August 27, 2021
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Application Survey (WMAS), for the week ending August 27, 2021, the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased -2.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased -3% compared with the previous week.
ADP Reports Private Sector Employment Increased by 374,000 Jobs in August
According to the August ADP® National Employment Report™, nonfarm private sector employment increased by 374,000 jobs from July to August. The report, which is derived from ADP’s actual payroll data, measures the change in total nonfarm private employment each month on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Reports U.S. Home Prices in June Increase 1.6% Month-Over-Month and 17.4% Year-Over-Year
According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI®), U.S. house prices increased 1.6% month-over-month in June. House prices increased 17.4% from June 2020 to June 2021. Compared to Q1 of 2021, house prices were up 4.9%.
Canadian Real GDP Declines in Q2 2021, Ending Three Consecutive Quarters of Growth
Statistics Canada (StatsCan) reported on Tuesday (8-31-21) that a substantial decline in home resale activity and exports pushed the real gross domestic product (GDP) in Canada down -0.3% in Q2 2021. This marks the end of three consecutive quarterly increases that followed the sharp decline of -11.3% caused by pandemic-related business shutdowns and travel restriction in Q2 of 2020.
S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index Reports Home Prices Climbed 18.6% Year-Over-Year in June
According to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, which covers all nine U.S. Census divisions, reported today (8-31-21) that home prices experienced a 18.6% annual gain in June 2021, up from 16.8% in May.
Mortgages in Forbearance Numbers Unchanged in the Week Ending August 22, 2021
The latest Mortgage Banker Association’s (MBA) Forbearance and Call Survey reports that the total number of loans now in forbearance remained unchanged relative to the prior week at 3.25% as of August 22, 2021. According to MBA’s estimate, 1.6 million homeowners are in forbearance plans. The share of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in forbearance remained the same relative to the prior week at 1.66%.
The Conference Board Reports their Consumer Confidence Index Declined in August
The Conference Board, a non-partisan, not-for-profit think tank founded in 1916, released today (8-31-21) their Consumer Confidence Index® (CCI) for August 2021. The CCI declined in August, following a decrease in July (a downward revision). The Index now stands at 113.8 (1985=100), down from 125.1 in July.