The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 235,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week.
News in end use
Canadian Employment Up for Fifth Consecutive Month in May
The number of Canadian employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer increased by 41,000, or 0.2%, in May. This was the fifth consecutive monthly increase.
New US Residential Single-Family Home Sales Decline in June
New residential single-family home sales were at a SAAR of 617,000, 0.6% below the revised May rate and 7.4% below the June 2023 rate.
Freddie Mac Releases Midyear Outlook for Multifamily Housing
Freddie Mac expects multifamily performance to remain muted for the remainder of the year as the market works through a historically high supply of new units.
Bank of Canada Cuts Key Interest Rate by Quarter Point to 4.5%
The Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate for a second consecutive time but warned the path back to 2% inflation may be uneven and would ultimately determine the pace of future cuts, The Canadian Press reported.
Mortgage Applications Decline in the Week Ending July 19th
Mortgage loan application volume decreased 2.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier, MBA reported.
US Existing-Home Sales Continue to Decline in June
Existing-home sales declined 5.4% month-over-month in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.89 million, NAR reported.
Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research Group Releases Its July Commentary
Home price growth in Q2 was stronger than previously anticipated but will likely moderate soon, closing 2024 and 2025 at annual rates of 6.1% and 3.0%, respectively, the ESR Group said.
Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Increases in June—First Upward Movement Since October 2022
the total number of loans in forbearance as of June 30th increased to 0.23% of servicers’ portfolio volume, up from 0.21% in May, MBA reported.
Lower Mortgage Rates and Additional Homes For Sale Give Homebuyers Some Relief
Redfin recently reported that the typical US homebuyer’s monthly housing payment was $2,722 during the four weeks ending July 14th, approximately $115 lower than April’s all-time high.