Commentary

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 11 hours ago

New orders for manufactured goods in August, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $8.4 billion or 1.4 percent to $612.0 billion. August 2025: +1.4° % Change July 2025 (r): -1.3° % Change

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 13 hours ago

The U.S. office vacancy rate is 14.1%, which is near a record high, according to real-estate data firm CoStar. Of the 12 largest markets the firm tracks, five are at their highest levels in 25 years and the others are just below. Those stubbornly high vacancies reflect a crucial difference between the current slump and previous ones: This one isn’t cyclical; it’s the result of structural changes in the workplace, namely the staying power of remote and hybrid work. https://buff.ly/3ugVSaw

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 13 hours ago

NPR's Planet Money takes a dive on the 50 year mortgage with the pros and cons in a great discussion that is worth a read. https://buff.ly/WY7M8ph

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 15 hours ago

JPMorgan Chase’s US economists, led by Michael Feroli, released their 2026 outlook on Monday. Among the key points: GDP growth is seen at 1.8% (short of the 3% the Trump team wants), and inflation as measured by the Fed’s preferred core gauge is expected to run at 2.7%.

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 17 hours ago

Mass layoffs by US companies jumped to one of the highest levels on record in October, according to Cleveland Fed data, signaling a weakening in the jobs market. https://buff.ly/eApeIgQ More crucial evidence will come on Thursday, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the September jobs report, which was delayed by the government shutdown. https://buff.ly/tIj6Orh

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 19 hours ago

President Donald Trump said he may move Seattle's 2026 World Cup matches to another city, questioning the city's safety and calling Mayor-elect Katie Wilson a "very, very liberal-slash-communist." https://buff.ly/s6MFB0K