Unemployment claims, port of LA, CPI, consumer sentiment

Back to pre covid levels as fewer people are being let go:

Looks to me like the increases will subside if energy prices stabilize:

Still looks to be on the decline, as federal deficit spending is quickly fading and inflation reduces the value of savings, causing people and businesses to spend less as they try to sustain a comfortable level of savings:

Existing home sales, new home sales, durable goods orders, consumer sentiment, personal consumption and income, tax receipts

Higher prices brought out a few more sellers:

The blip up seems to have reversed:

Softening:

Looks like inventories have recovered:

These largely involve buying intentions:

Seems to be back on trend, without have ‘made up for’ the covid dip:

The rate of growth is declining and has about settled back to the pre covid trend.
The higher personal savings from the extra income from fiscal spending is largely
in the form of reduced personal debt:

There’s a history of accelerating tax receipts causing recessions:

CPI, commodity charts

Quite a few price increases, which the media now calls ‘inflation’ even though inflation is a continuous increase in the price level:

The annual inflation rate in the US surged to 6.2% in October of 2021, the highest since November of 1990 and above forecasts of 5.8%. Upward pressure was broad-based, with energy costs recording the biggest gain (30% vs 24.8% in September), namely gasoline (49.6%). Inflation also increased for shelter (3.5% vs 3.2%); food (5.3% vs 4.6%, the highest since January of 2009), namely food at home (5.4% vs 4.5%); new vehicles (9.8% vs 8.7%); used cars and trucks (26.4% percent vs 24.4%); transportation services (4.5% vs 4.4%); apparel (4.3% vs 3.4%); and medical care services (1.7% vs 0.9%). The monthly rate increased to 0.9% from 0.4% in September, also higher than forecasts of 0.6%, boosted by higher cost of energy, shelter, food, used cars and trucks, and new vehicles. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The longer term chart show how so far it’s just a one time blip up:


Quite a few commodities are also looking like it’s been a one time blip up:

Oil prices, however are set by Saudi Arabia working closely with Russia,
so at least for the medium term the price is an entirely political decision:

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/AG/news/world-policy/article/2021/11/08/oil-futures-gain-saudi-osp-hike-us

Employment, US oil production

Progress, but at a decelerating rate:

The US economy added 531K jobs in October of 2021, the most in 3 months and above market forecasts of 450K as Covid-19 cases dropped and employers offered higher wages and more flexible hours. The biggest job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality (164K), in professional and business services (100K), in manufacturing (60K), and in transportation and warehousing (54K) while employment in public education declined (-65K). So far this year, monthly job growth has averaged 582K. Nonfarm employment has increased by 18.2 million since a recent trough in April 2020 but is down by 4.2 million from its pre-pandemic level. Labour shortages continue to weigh even after federal government-funded unemployment benefits have expired and schools reopened. Some investors believe such shortages could get worse due to the White House’s vaccine mandate. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Keeps ratcheting down, telling me it’s not about demographics: