Economy

Minutes from late January show most FOMC members are more concerned about easing too soon than about damaging the economy through high rates.

Productivity growth has averaged 3.9% over the past three quarters, more than triple the rate seen in the decade prior to the pandemic.

Consumer prices excluding food and energy rose at a 3.3% annualized rate in the final three months of 2023.

Despite a favorable pullback in inflation, Federal Reserve policymakers are in no rush to lower rates.

Falling gas prices seem to have enabled consumers to spend more as they kicked off the holiday shopping season.

Despite tepid growth, and even declines, in sectors such as retail, hiring in healthcare, leisure and hospitality, government, and manufacturing drove a gain in payrolls last month.

According to ADP, the labor market last month added the fewest jobs since early 2021.

Although economists are increasingly confident the economy can bypass a recession, consumers' six-month outlook has fallen to the lowest it's been since May.