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Peter's Blog

Get the latest headlines, market analysis, and original content from SchiffGold.

Posts Tagged: “economic slowdown“

August 6, 2025 Original Analysis

Jobs Stall: July Payroll Gain Just 73K

The summer labor market is losing momentum. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said Friday that non-farm payrolls grew by only 73,000 in July, barely budging overall employment since April and capping two straight months of sharp downward revisions. The headline unemployment rate stayed at 4.2 percent—on paper a healthy figure—yet a closer look shows […]

July 31, 2025 Original Analysis

Job Openings Miss Expectations, Slip to 7.4 Million

The once-red-hot U.S. labor market is cooling at the edges. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released July 29, shows total openings falling to 7.4 million in June—a 4.4 percent openings rate. Hiring was flat at 5.2 million, while total separations came in slightly lower at 5.1 million. […]

July 24, 2025 Original Analysis

Richmond Factory Gauge Falls Off a Cliff

Manufacturing in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District hit the brakes hard in July, and the yellow metal took notice. The Richmond Fed reported Tuesday that its composite manufacturing index collapsed to –20 from June’s already-weak –8, falling well below the consensus expectation of -2. Shipments, new orders, and employment all sank deeper into negative territory, […]

July 5, 2025 Exploring Finance

Jobs: QCEW Shows 2024 Job Reports were the Biggest Overstatement in 15 years

The analysis below covers the Employment picture released on the first Friday of every month. While most of the attention goes to the Headline Report, it can be helpful to look at the details, revisions, and other reports to get a better gauge of what is really going on.

July 5, 2025 Original Analysis

ADP Logs Surprise 33,000 Job Drop 

Hiring hit the brakes in June, with the ADP National Employment Report showing U.S. private-sector payrolls shrinking by 33,000 positions—the first monthly contraction of 2025. Goods makers managed to eke out modest gains, but service industries bled jobs, and small businesses took the biggest hit. Wages, meanwhile, kept climbing faster than the official inflation gauges, […]

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May 4, 2024 Guest Commentaries

Falling Full-Time Jobs Points Toward Recession

In April, the U.S. economy added a disappointing 175,000 jobs, falling short of expectations and nudging unemployment up to 3.9% (see current trends here). This signals a slowing economy that might force the Federal Reserve to put the guard rails back on. Our guest commentator gives a deeper look at a worrisome trajectory: while part-time […]