Economic Commentary

ECONOMY AND POLICY February 14, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. The spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 appeared to be slowing, but adjustments in the criteria for recognizing cases changed, boosting the reported number of infections. The change increased anxiety and uncertainty about the economic impact. Fed Chair Powell covered little […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY February 07, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. The January Employment Report remained consistent with the broader range of labor market indicators. Job conditions are tight. Wage growth has picked up relative to a few years ago, but is not particularly high by historical standards. Thus, the Fed is […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY February 07, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. U.S. investors’ concerns about the Wuhan coronavirus fell and rose again as new information came in and market participants tried to gauge the impact on the global economy (still uncertain). Prior to seasonal adjustment, nonfarm payrolls fell by 2.83 million […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY January 31, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. There were no surprises from the Fed and the economic data. Investors remained concerned about the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus. By the end of the week, there were nearly 10,000 reported cases and more than 200 reported dead. The […]