Reclaiming Common Sense

This week was a big week. We received solid new construction data, we received some of the best unemployment claims data since the program's inception during 1967, we received a Schumer Shutdown.


(Jan. 15) This week started with a forecast column for the December Real Estate reports, plural. The article "Dec. Real estate Forecast: Up" detailed how we could expect to see the new construction starts, under construction, and completions data be recorded as being higher than December 2016. The same could be said for new construction sales (January 25) and the Existing Home Sales (Jan. 24) The main thing slowing down sales is inventory.


(Jan. 15) The December Jobs Report was released January 5th. The report was mostly forgotten by January 6th. This column writes multiple articles every month on the Jobs Report data. Two weeks ago this column wrote articles comparing President Trump to the four most recent two-term Presidents, as well as the multiple job holder data, and the "War on Men" article. This week that analysis continued with sector data and "Stronger than reported Dec. Sector Worker Growth." There are eleven "super sectors" that are monitored. Ten of those Super Sectors saw improvement over December 2016.


(Jan. 17) The recession, and the recovery, has impacted people differently depending upon jobs, gender, and age. "Red, Gray and Blue: December's Aging Workforce" details how fewer people who are under the age of 24 are working this December than during December 2016. Participation varies by age, too. Some of the changes in participation and employment are due to a shift in the workers into different age groups.


(Jan. 18) There are still unemployed workers. There is still a weekly unemployment claims report that is released. "Unloved Unemployment Claims Data" details how the non-seasonally adjusted claims datum was lower for the second week of 2017 than the second week of 1970. The same can be said for the first week of 2017 continuing claims and the first week of 1970.


(Jan. 18) The New Construction data was seriously ignored as the Schumer Shutdown loomed. The Article "Starts up 8% from 2016" details how starts were up from 2016, the number of units under construction were up from December 2016, and the number of completions were up from December 2016. It also detailed how Starts, Under Construction and Completions were up for the entire year from 2016. This year was better than 2008 through 2016.


(Jan. 19) The unemployment claims report was lost in the news cycle this past week. The new construction data was lost this week, too. The monthly treasury report on spending was also lost in the news cycle. It is ironic that a report on revenue and spending would be ignored as we were heading towards a potential, now real, government shutdown. "Schumer Shutdown and Spending" explains how this budget was due June 30th, a new budget is due to be submitted the First week of February, and how "on-budget deficits" are offset partially by "off-budget" surpluses.


The government shuts down every week. It is called the weekend. Congress still gets paid during a shutdown while other federal employees and our military do not get paid. Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid have their own funding sources, and their own budgets, so that money should continue to roll.  If Congress cannot pass a budget, an essential part of running the government, then they are non-essential workers and should not be paid until a budget is passed. Every government person should be required to take vacation days. That might get their attention.


It's the economy.