- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 135 thousand to 1,106 thousand in the week ending August 15. The 4-week moving average was 1,175.75 thousand, a decrease of 79 thousand from the previous week’s revised average. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment (ongoing) during the week ending August 8 was 14,844 thousand, a decrease of 636 thousand from the previous week’s revised level. The 4-week moving average was 15,841.25 thousand, a decrease of 326.75 thousand from the previous week’s revised average. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 10.2% for the week ending August 8, a decrease of 0.4 percentage point from the previous week’s unrevised rate. It was stated that: “The COVID-19 virus continues to impact the number of initial claims and insured unemployment. This report now includes information on claimants filing Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation claims.”
- Unemployment rates were lower in July in 30 states, higher in 9 states, and stable in 11 states and the District of Columbia, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. All 50 states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 40 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 1 state, and was essentially unchanged in 9 states in July 2020. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 49 states and the District and was essentially unchanged in 1 state.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey of August 20th showed average fixed mortgage rates inched up. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.99% for the week ending August 20, up from last week when it averaged 2.96%. A year ago, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.55%. 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.54%, up from last week when it averaged 2.46%. %. A year ago, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.03%.
- Mortgage applications decreased 3.3% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending August 14th.
This entry was posted on Saturday, August 22nd, 2020 at 5:06 AM and is filed under Key Economic Indicators. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.