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Markets are settling into holiday mode, with stock futures slightly down on the last full trading day before Christmas. Here’s where things stand today: * Nasdaq-100: +0.37% * S&P 500: +0.04% (flat) * Dow Jones: -0.22% On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 1.1%, recovering
Quantum computing stocks are taking off in 2024. Is this the start of something big? Let’s take a closer look Google’s Chip Changes the Game Google’s new Willow chip, a 105-qubit processor, hit a big milestone: * Fixed Errors: It solved a 30-year problem by cutting down error
Government surveys that track the economy are failing. Budgets are shrinking, people are skipping surveys, and economic data we rely on is becoming less trustworthy. This is a big deal—because when the numbers are wrong, decisions that affect markets, businesses, and everyday life go wrong, too. Here’s what’
The S&P 500 Value Index just dropped 3.7%, marking its longest losing streak on record. Meanwhile, Bitcoin smashed past the $100,000 mark, and the Nasdaq climbed to 20,000. To me, it seems that value stocks have been left in the dust, and investors chasing bigger
Almost $10 billion has poured into Bitcoin ETFs since the US election, pushing Bitcoin past the $100,000 mark for the first time. The momentum is crazy, with Bitcoin posting its best winning streak since 2021. With investors pouring in, knowing the risks are more important than ever. Bitcoin’s
I got a jolt reading our newest jobs report. May job openings hit 8.1 million, hinting at short-term stability but long-term uncertainty. I'll break down what this means and how you should react.
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) gives us a monthly recap of the U.S. labor market, showing changes job openings, hiring, quitting, and layoffs.
The May JOLTS report saw an increase in job openings, rising to 8.1 million from a revised 7.9 million in April. This 2.5% month-over-month increase suggests some short-term stability, but don’t mistake this one-month change for a broader upward trend.
The labor market remains balanced, with stable hiring and quitting rates and low layoffs. However, any further decline in job openings could quickly become concerning → affecting unemployment.
Job Openings Trends: Job openings data can be volatile, and the May increase doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet. Total job openings are still down 15% year-over-year, telling us we're in a longer-trend of cooling labor demand.
The labor market isn't heating up, but after several years of declines, at some point our job openings need to stop falling to make sure we keep a healthy labor market.
For instance, job postings on Indeed declined by just 0.7% from the end of May through June 28, suggesting that the next JOLTS report should show job openings around 8 million.
If total job openings fall below this level, it could push the unemployment rate higher, which stood at 3.7% in May 2024, up from 3.4% in April.
Funny enough, the words “little changed” were repeated over half a dozen times in the May JOLTS report, telling us there's still no change in hiring, quitting, and layoff rates.
This stability is a positive sign, but there are risks if job openings continue to decline. The current level of job openings is consistent with a healthy and balanced market, but further declines could signal trouble ahead.
How We Should React: The labor market's at a crossroads. Cutting interest rates this year might help keep worker demand up, but it could also overheat an already balanced market. The Fed's been cautious, and any moves need to be well-thought-out to keep things stable.
The May 2024 JOLTS report shows short-term stability but long-term uncertainty. With job openings around 8 million, the market's balanced, but further declines could be risky. I'll keep a close eye on this situation and let you know if anything new happens.