Author: Greg Heym
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The Line: Consumer Prices Up 2.4% from a Year Ago
While today is Friday the 13th, we promise not to scare you in this edition of The Line. Consumer Prices Up 2.4% From a Year Ago The consumer price index rose 0.3% in February and was 2.4% higher than a year ago. Both these figures matched expectations, so this report is good news. Core CPI, which excludes food and…
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The Line: Mortgage Rates Fall Below 6% for the First Time in Over Three Years
This week, we celebrate a milestone for mortgage rates, and wonder if anyone’s job is safe from AI. Mortgage Rates Fall Below 6% for the First Time in Over Three Years What a great way to start off this week’s column! According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year conforming mortgage rate fell to 5.98% this week, its first…
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The Line: Job Growth Much Higher than Expected in January
This week, we dedicate this column to the delayed January jobs report. Job Growth Much Higher than Expected in January Yep, you read that correctly. Payrolls rose by 130,000 last month according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than double the Dow Jones estimate. Wait a minute, didn’t the ADP report issued last week say that employment was up by just 22,000 in…
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The Line: Private Sector Employment Rose by Just 22,000 in January
It’s the first Friday of the month, which usually means a BLS jobs report. However, since the government shut down for a few days that report won’t come out until next week. Luckily for us ADP came to the rescue yet again, with their January Employment Report. Private Sector Employment Rose by Just 22,000 in…
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The Line: The Fed Leaves Rates Alone
This week, we have the latest from the Fed and tell you why Americans shouldn’t be so pessimistic about the economy. The Fed Leaves Rates Alone The Federal Reserve made no change to the federal funds rate at their meeting this week, a move that surprised nobody, even Gomer Pyle. The Fed summed up their thinking this way: “Available indicators suggest that…
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The Line: Mortgage Rates Remain New Three-Year Low
This week, we present the latest on mortgage rates, home sales, and the value of property in New York City Mortgage Rates Remain New Three-Year Low The average 30-year conforming mortgage rate ticked up to 6.09% this week, slightly higher than the previous week but still near a three-year low. Rates began to rise on Monday, due to tensions…
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The Line: Inflation Lower than Expected in December
There was a lot of economic data released this week, so welcome to another lightning-round edition of The Line. Inflation Lower than Expected in December The core consumer price index, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.2% in December and was 2.6% higher than a year ago. Both figures were slightly below forecast, which was…
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The Line: Employment Rose by 64,000 in November
In this week’s Line— our last post of 2025— we celebrate the return of timely government data, with the latest on jobs and inflation. Employment Rose by 64,000 in November Here’s the breakdown on the BLS report: While the higher-than-expected gain in jobs last month sounds great, when you add in the big decline in…
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The Line: The Fed Cut Rates Another 0.25%
Today, The Line tries to fight through a nasty stomach virus to bring you the latest from the Fed. The Fed Cut Rates Another 0.25% By a 9-3 vote, the Federal Reserve approved a 25-basis point reduction in the federal funds rate. It’s worth noting that the last time 3 committee members dissented was September 2019. In case you’re curious, two of the dissenters were against…
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The Line: Private employers shed 32,000 jobs in November
Today, we try to explain the current state of the labor market without any help from the BLS. Private employers shed 32,000 jobs in November That’s the headline of ADP’s latest employment report. Sounds scary, but at least October’s job growth was revised up to 47,000. ADP also said that job growth in the second half of the year has been flat while…