Imagine if you could measure the collective mood of 330 million Americans about their financial future, boil it down to a single number, and use that to predict when the economy might tank. Sounds like science fiction, right? Well, welcome to the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index—arguably one of the most underappreciated crystal balls…
Okay, so the check engine light—our initial unemployment claims—is blinking. We pulled the car over in our prior post, and the reading of 247,000 has us, and a lot of economists, looking under the hood with a concerned frown. But that first alert is just that: an alert. It tells you a problem just happened….
Picture this: You’re driving down the highway, and your car’s check engine light starts blinking. Do you ignore it and keep cruising? Or do you pull over to investigate before your engine seizes up completely? Initial unemployment claims are basically the economy’s check engine light—and right now, that light is blinking pretty frantically. The latest…
Welcome to the economic equivalent of a rom-com plot twist. In April 2025, the U.S. housing market decided to defy conventional wisdom by having housing starts rise 1.6% to 1.361 million units while building permits—which are supposed to predict future starts—fell 4.7% to 1.412 million units. It’s like having your GPS tell you to turn left…
If the Conference Board LEI is the economy’s smoke detector, then durable goods orders are like your neighbor’s car alarm—loud, attention-grabbing, and going off at seemingly random times, but occasionally signaling something actually important is happening. Welcome back to our deep dive into U.S. economic indicators, where we decode the signals that Wall Street obsesses…
Alright, let’s talk about the economy. If you’re like me, you hear a dizzying cloud of data points every day—GDP this, inflation that. It feels like trying to read tea leaves in a hurricane. But what if we had a better way to see where things might be headed? Enter the U.S. Leading Economic Indicators…
Understanding labor market dynamics is crucial for gauging economic health and market sentiment . Jobless claims data, released weekly by the U.S. Department of Labor, provides one of the most timely indicators of economic conditions. This comprehensive guide demonstrates how to leverage Python and the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) API to retrieve, analyze, and visualize unemployment claims…
The United States stands at the precipice of an artificial intelligence revolution that will fundamentally reshape the economy, workforce, and society over the next three to five years. With AI investments surging and new policies removing regulatory barriers, America is positioning itself to maintain global AI dominance while navigating unprecedented technological transformation. Economic Impact: Trillions…
Explore lesser-known ways how AI helps in the pharma industry, tackling niche problems from clinical trial design to post-market surveillance. Discover emerging applications and challenges beyond mainstream AI adoption.
The idea of breaking up Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is a hot topic. With governments around the world, especially in the U.S., looking closely at its power, investors are wondering what a split could mean for their shares. This isn’t the first time a giant company has faced a breakup. So, what can we learn…