Steven Wood Job Quotations

Layoffs continue to rise and job creation continues to slow,

Leading indicators of job creation were generally favorable.

Retail sales have slowed over the last six months in response to the slower pace of job creation, higher rates, and increased volatility in the stock market. Indeed, in the past two years there has been tight relationship between the Nasdaq and retail spending, suggesting further spending weakness in coming months.

Because of the dramatic shift in job advertising market share from newspapers to the Internet, the help-wanted index has lost much of its luster.

This relative stability has been remarkable given the ebbs and flows in job creation, the equity markets, the conflict in Iraq, the election campaign, interest rates and gasoline prices.

With a longer-term view, layoffs have accelerated, job creation has slowed, and joblessness has increased.

As long as average job creation remains around or exceeds 200,000 and the unemployment rate continues to decline, the FOMC will continue to raise interest rates.

Although these data were better than expected, job creation is still weak.

Although real consumer spending was strong it has slowed for two consecutive quarters and finished Q1 with very little momentum. In order to sustain recent strength in real consumer spending, job creation will need to accelerate further.

In an environment of slower growth, steady job creation, weaker productivity gains, and modestly rising inflation that we envision for 2005, the FOMC will continue to lift its target federal funds rate.

In the past year, ... the number of people receiving state benefits has increased by more than a million. Although the pace of layoffs has eased, job creation remains nonexistent.

Higher claims suggest slower job gains, which should dampen income growth, consumer spending, and overall economic activity.

Housing fundamentals are deteriorating. Mortgage rates have been flat since the beginning of the year. Job creation and income growth has slowed. Equity markets have plunged over the past year. And consumer confidence has tumbled. Moreover, mortgage applications have trailed off. All of these suggest that home sales should weaken over the next several months.

Housing fundamentals are deteriorating, ... Mortgage rates have been flat since the beginning of the year. Job creation and income growth has slowed. Equity markets have plunged over the past year. And consumer confidence has tumbled. Moreover, mortgage applications have trailed off. All of these suggest that home sales should weaken over the next several months.