US Economy Pulse

May Jobs Report

• 🔥 May Employment Gains Concentrated: US employers added 172,000 jobs in May but nearly all gains came from healthcare and...

Workers saw nominal hourly earnings rise to $37.53 in May 2026, up 3.4% year-over-year, yet inflation at 4.2% erased those gains and reduced...

Two-thirds of large employers expect to raise employee healthcare contributions via payroll deductions by 2027.

• Employer costs hit nearly $17,500...

AI tools like ChatGPT are fueling a consumer spending surge, with referred shoppers jumping 138% year-over-year in May.

• This retail boost highlights...

Inflation above 4% persists even as housing demand weakens and key price categories moderate. Markets climb on AI spending and liquidity, yet households face costs outrunning wages. The real story is this unresolved tension between the two forces.

• Official poverty threshold remains absurdly low at just $33,000 for a family of four, far below real living costs.
• ALICE data reveals over 41% of...

Inflation and interest rates are widening the divide between strong and weak households, slowing overall consumer spending.

• Spending growth to slow...

Abortion restrictions now cost the US economy more than $140 billion each year by reducing women's labor force participation and earnings. These...

May's jobs report added 172,000 positions with unemployment steady at 4.3%, but nearly all gains came from healthcare and government.

• Manufacturing,...

Most rent-vs-buy guidance assumes savings most working-class households lack.

• Hidden ownership costs on tight budgets often turn mortgages into...

Fixed expenses like healthcare and housing often inflate at much higher rates than average CPI, leaving static retirement plans vulnerable.

Energy Costs and Inflation Relief

• 🔥 Iran Deal Impact: Stephen Moore stated a US-Iran peace deal would lower fuel costs and drive inflation...

US household debt reached a historic $18.8 trillion as persistent inflation forces families deeper into borrowing.

• Iowa households now pay $1,508...

• New chair's debut: Kevin Warsh leads his first Fed meeting after replacing Powell, with markets alert for hawkish signals
• Inflation surge risk:...

• Household spending climbed 5.1% year-over-year, yet retail units dropped 1.5% as value-conscious buyers dominate.
• Shoppers now weigh fast food...

AI now dominates US growth engines from data centers to the CHIPS Act-fueled industrial revival, according to Torsten Slok's charts. His key takeaway...

• Household relief: Gas prices could fall toward $3 a gallon by summer's end, functioning as a tax cut for consumers.
• Inflation outlook: Current...

Jeff Bezos proposed eliminating federal income taxes for the bottom half of U.S. earners to help struggling households. Similar plans from lawmakers...

Finance has shifted from funding productive investment toward trading, fees, and rent extraction, letting asset prices outpace wages for decades while...

• High energy prices are pushing inflation higher in both regions, not excess demand.
• Europe contends with the same energy costs plus larger...