Gary Thayer
Gary Thayer
clearly economy february good government looks march sector strong telling
They're very good numbers. It's telling us the manufacturing sector of the economy is clearly in recovery. It looks like we had not only a strong March but an even better February than the government previously estimated.
economy fed further policy saying seeing softness
They're saying that some further policy firming may be needed, so it doesn't look like the Fed is seeing enough softness in the economy right now to warrant pausing.
fed help increase replace
This may help increase the inflation-fighting credibility of the Fed before we replace the chairman.
concerned continue fed housing interest market raise
This is probably going to keep the Fed concerned about inflation. If the housing market is still healthy, policy-makers will probably continue to raise interest rates.
concerned fed
This is probably going to keep the Fed concerned about inflation.
conditions confidence economic employment energy lower prices sign
The upturn in confidence is an encouraging sign that economic conditions are stabilizing after the hurricanes. Lower energy prices are helping, but the upturn in employment is also a plus.
companies inflation labor likely lower materials offset paying raw unit
Companies may be paying more for raw materials and energy, but that is at least partially being offset by lower unit labor costs. That, I think, is likely to keep inflation contained.
bit consumer economy headline looking number production quarter strong suggest
I think the headline number is a bit misleading. It doesn't suggest that the economy is in trouble. Consumer durables production is looking solid, so it's looking like there's still going to be strong first quarter GDP growth.
close peak
I think we're close to a peak in the unemployment rate. The upswings in manufacturing and non-manufacturing show we're close to it now.
close peak
I think we're close to a peak in the unemployment rate, ... The upswings in manufacturing and non-manufacturing show we're close to it now.
cause concerned economy healthy heat inflation pressure road somewhere trajectory
I think what he's concerned about is that the economy is on a good, healthy trajectory and if we do see some upward pressure on inflation somewhere down the road that that could cause the economy to heat up a bit.
appears concerned cooling existing holding homes housing market
It appears that the market for existing homes is holding up better than the market for new home sales. We are still concerned about the housing market cooling off.
average employment figures gm good growth last moderate news strike
I think it's good news for the economy. When you take away the GM strike and average last month's figures with this month's, you see employment growth at moderate levels, which is good for sustainable growth.
affecting closely confidence decline factor shows watch watching whether
Historically, when we see confidence decline, we have to watch and see if it shows up also affecting spending. We'll be watching closely to see ... whether the decline in confidence is more of a psychological factor or a real factor affecting spending.