Tag Archives: Jobs

As part of its effort to better serve active duty military and veterans, Wells Fargo announced the creation of a Military Affairs Program.

The company released an examination of the Badger State’s economy as part of its ongoing series on swing states in the 2012 election. Whereas states like Colorado and New Hampshire have fair-to-middling economic pictures, IHS called Wisconsin’s employment situation in 2012 ""grim.""

Across the United States, 26 states recorded unemployment rate increases in August, while 12 states and the District of Columbia posted decreases. BLS also reported that non-farm payroll employment increased in 28 states, with Texas, Florida, and Missouri leading the pack in month-over-month increases. Meanwhile, Virginia, D.C., and Washington led the 21 states that saw a decline in employment. Colorado was the only state with no changes reported.

IHS Global Insight's examination of presidential swing states continued Thursday with a look at New Hampshire's relatively shaky economy. Growth performance in the Granite State has been mostly unimpressive. The state's 0.4 percent average job gain for the first two quarters of the year included payroll shrinkage across a number of sectors, including manufacturing, retail trade, finance, administrative support, and healthcare.

The Federal Reserve's announcement confirming a third round of quantitative easing sent long-term mortgage rates tumbling to all-new record lows this week. Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed a drop in both the 30-year and 15-year fixed. According to the survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.49 percent (0.6 point) for the week ending September 20, down from 3.55 percent the week before. The 15-year FRM also fell this week, averaging 2.77 percent (0.6 point). The previous survey showed an average of 2.85 percent.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance fell 3,000 to 382,000 for the week ended September 15, the Labor Department reported Thursday, topping market expectations. The previous week's report was revised upward to 385,000 first time claims from the originally reported 382,000 which, the department said, included 9,000 claims attributable to hurricane Isaac.

Residential Credit Solutions (RCS) announced that it is holding a job fair at its office in Fort Worth, Texas.

According to the GSE's most recent Economic Outlook report, downside risks such as the European debt crisis, the fast-approaching fiscal cliff, and the recent slowdown in hiring have created a drag on the second quarter's modest economic growth. In addition, the summer drought is expected to compound the current slump, with food and agricultural prices rising. With gas prices also on the rise, headline inflation is expected to pick up, stifling consumer spending and possibly affecting consumer attitudes for the rest of the year.

The bank's Economics Group issued a special commentary in its Housing Data Wrap-Up for August 2012, examining the potential effects (or lack thereof) the Fed's new plan may have on housing and updating its forecast for the market. The Fed's influence should put downward pressure on long-term interest rates, but Wells Fargo says the benefits from such a move will be modest at best, citing already-low mortgage rates. The bigger issue at hand is the ""fiscal cliff,"" which has led to a slowdown in hiring and turned back gains in consumer confidence.

As part of its ongoing series on economic issues in this year's election swing states, IHS Global Insight released a report on the Centennial State: Colorado. The report revealed that addressing housing and the economy in the state may not be the best tack for either major party candidate to take, as Coloradans have relatively little to worry about on both counts.