Is the Jobs Market Really Doing Well?

Labor Market Conditions Index (March 2016)

– Level -2.1. Previous was -2.4.

This is an index generated by the Fed which takes into account 19 labor market indicators.  Clearly the “everything is just dandy” media hype about Friday’s Jobs report misreads the labor market.

 

 

Factory Orders (February 2016)

– Factory Orders month/month -1.7%. Previous was +1.2%.

This undoes the rise in January and may be a reflection of the fact that the world economy is growing at an anemic pace requiring less capital goods and Factory Orders.