Economic Commentary

ECONOMY AND POLICY October 02, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. Nonfarm payrolls continued to recover in September, although the pace of improvement has slowed and we are unlikely to return to February levels until the pandemic is well behind us. The impact of COVID-19 has been uneven, with job losses remaining […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY October 02, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. There was a lot of economic data to digest, but market participants focused more on the chaotic presidential debate and the news that President Trump tested positive for COVID-19. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 661,000 in the initial estimate for September; […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 25, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. The first of three presidential debates is set for the evening of September 29. The topics, chosen by the Chris Wallace, the moderator, will be the Trump and Biden records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, racial tensions, and election integrity. […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 25, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ignited a fight over her replacement. The increased animosity in Washington lowered the odds that lawmakers will reach agreement on a further fiscal support package and dampened investor sentiment. Durable goods […]