US Economics Update Fed softens blow of hawkish cut with asset purchase restart The FOMC overcame its divisions to vote for another interest rate cut today, albeit with three dissenting votes. The hawks influenced the accompanying policy statement, which notes that the FOMC will... 10th December 2025 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update JOLTS teases an improving labour market The JOLTS data for September and October show glimpses of a rosier labour market, with firms in tariff-affected sectors posting more jobs and layoffs concentrated in a couple of sectors. This chimes... 9th December 2025 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update Should we fear the 2026 “maturity wall”? The rise in the number of business bankruptcies this year, despite little change in default rates for bank loans or speculative-grade debt, seems to reflect the larger number of firms trying to re... 9th December 2025 · 4 mins read
US Economics Update NFIB survey reveals upside risks to inflation and employment The November NFIB survey suggests that the labour market is regaining momentum, while also pointing to some upside risks to inflation. At the margin at least, that lends some support to our view that... 9th December 2025 · 2 mins read
US Economics Update Economic data will return slowly post-shutdown The reopening of the federal government does not mean the flow of economic data will be restored straight away. Survey-based data not collected in October during the funding lapse will take weeks to... 13th November 2025 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update NFIB survey adds to signs jobs market has stabilised The latest NFIB survey provides further evidence that the labour market has not deteriorated any further since official jobs data stopped being reported. 11th November 2025 · 2 mins read
US Economics Update Taking the pulse of the economy using alternative data Alternative data suggest the economy continued to perform reasonably well early in the fourth quarter. Fears of a renewed labour market downturn, amid reports of mass layoffs at several large firms... 10th November 2025 · 4 mins read
US Economics Update Why is hiring soft despite resilient GDP growth? Lower immigration, increased use of AI and cyclical weakness outside of the main tech sectors are the key reasons for the slowdown in private sector hiring this year. There is a risk that the drags... 6th November 2025 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update Consumption won’t fall off a cliff Fears that weak payroll gains will cause a sharp slowdown in consumption growth over the next year are overblown. The immigration crackdown will prevent wage growth from slowing much further, and... 5th November 2025 · 5 mins read
US Economics Update Fed cuts and ends QT, but further loosening not guaranteed The Fed cut its policy rate by an additional 25bp today, to between 3.75% and 4.00%, but the vote was a little more balanced than we had expected, with dissents in both directions, and Chair Jerome... 29th October 2025 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update The Treasury forces the Fed's hand on QT If the Fed does decide to call time on its quantitative tightening (QT) this week it will be responding to the Treasury’s efforts to rebuild its cash reserves after the debt ceiling was raised this... 28th October 2025 · 4 mins read
US Economics Update Is private credit a systemic threat to the economy? The collapse of auto parts supplier First Brands may have triggered losses at US regional banks, but we don’t think private credit represents a threat to the stability of the broader US financial... 21st October 2025 · 6 mins read
US Economics Update Answering your questions on the economic outlook and AI We held an online Drop-in session yesterday (see here for a recording) to discuss the US economic outlook. This Update answers several of the questions we received, including the role that AI will... 8th October 2025 · 7 mins read
US Economics Update Economy to be largely unaffected by shutdown Most government shutdowns have a negligible macroeconomic impact, often lasting just a day or two, and this one might be no different. Even if it drags on, the effects should remain modest, with... 1st October 2025 · 5 mins read
US Economics Update JOLTS suggests stagnant labour market The JOLTS data for August suggest a broadly stagnant labour market. Job openings were little changed in most sectors, while the private sector hiring rate and quits rates both edged down. An exception... 30th September 2025 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update H-1B change highlights crackdown on legal immigration too The White House’s decision to impose a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas confirms that the Trump administration is also determined to clamp down on legal immigration, which could further reduce... 22nd September 2025 · 6 mins read
