Commentary

Thoughts on the Latest Economic News

After Office Hours Podcast

Latest Episodes

Questions? Comments? Drop us a line!


Facebook

What We Are Following in the News

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

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%.

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

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

A new version of the flu is spreading rapidly and raising concern among public health experts, who are warning of a new flu outbreak ahead of winter. The new flu strain, a version of H3N2, emerged over the summer, raising fears that the current flu vaccine might struggle to fight it. https://buff.ly/f0M1EWd

Seattle's home-sale turnover — the share of homes that actually change hands — has plunged to 2% in 2025 from 3.2% in 2019, among the steepest drops in the country. https://buff.ly/ywnSako