The Higgins Report: The Dog Days of August
The Conference Board reported that consumer confidence in August fell by more than 11 points from July.
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Author: Joe Higgins
Is It Time to be More Optimistic About Our Economy?
Economists worry about every bit of data that comes out of the Commerce Department, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or the Federal Reserve. Is inflation going to deliver the final blow to the recovery?
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The Higgins Report: Inflation Cools, But Not Consumer Spending
BrandSource members should remain confident that business will remain solid this year, even with the lingering supply-chain issues plaguing our industry.
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The Higgins Report: Hiring Comes Back Strong … but Not for Retail
The July employment numbers came in better than most economists anticipated, given the rise of the Delta mutation in every state across the U.S.
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June Sales Beat Estimates; Outlook Remains Rosy For Rest of the Year
This is good news for BrandSource dealers, many of whom are benefiting from increased traffic and higher prices due to the backlog of goods.
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The Higgins Report: U.S. Economy Hits a Sweet Spot
The U.S. economy appeared to be firing on all cylinders in June.
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The Consumer is Back as Life Returns to Normal
Our lives began to feel more normal in May and June than at any time during the past year.
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Inflation Nation: Transitory Hiccup or Permanent Predicament?
Now that inflation has landed on the doorsteps of our BrandSource dealers, it joins shortages, back orders and disruptions as part of the new normal in home goods.
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Labor Woes Continue but Economy Poised to Pounce
The U.S. Labor Department released its May jobs report last week and it left many economists a little confused.
Should we be excited about 559,000 additional jobs last month, which is one of the highest monthly employment gains in U.S. history?
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Economy Sending Mixed Signals
There are two ways to look at the April retail sales numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Hiring Hits a Road Bump in April
April’s jobs report, out last week, was a huge disappointment, especially if you use economists’ expectations for your baseline.
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Strong March Results Point to An Even Better Q2
It has been a cavalcade of good news this past week as March brought in some of the best numbers we have seen in a long time.
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Economic Update: Hold on to Your Hats!
There was a convergence of consumer confidence, manufacturing and employment this week that pushed these three key economic indicators to levels unseen over the past twelve months.
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Talkback: Joe Responds to Inflation Jitters
After my BrandSource presentation on the state of the economy last week, my in-box filled up from friends challenging my predictions about inflation being a non-issue.
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An Uncertain Economy in an Uncertain World
With so little precedent to look back on, this article is the best information I have in a very uncertain world.
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The Impact of the Coronavirus and Why I Can’t Wait for 2021
Here’s another interesting effect of the coronavirus that we didn’t expect or at least use in our estimates for economic expansion or contraction: COVID-19 has greatly reduced the time we spend on the highways.
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The Impact of the Coronavirus and Why I Can’t Wait for 2021
I have been following America’s economy for more than 60 years and have documented some extraordinary events over that time, but nothing prepared me for what I have witnessed in 2020.
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The U.S. Economy in the Age of Covid-19
It is a new way of life in America since February of 2020 and I am trying to make predictions about the U.S. economy while I shelter in place here at my home in Washington. Our economy is opening up, but the news has not made it any easier to gaze into the old crystal ball and tell you what is going to happen.
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Living Through the COVID Economy
It’s an odd time in American history to be making predictions about the economy, but that is what I am supposed to be doing as I shelter at home here in Washington.
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Opinion: The Truth About the National Debt
Articles about the national debt are usually very controversial, and I expect this one will be no less contentious.
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