Author: chip

S&P 500 monthly price changes for 2016. January started the year off on a sour note, -5.1%. March rallied the troops with the index gaining 6.6%. August petered out as usual -.1%; in fact, since WWII the 8th month has posted -.2% on average and has earned the penultimate position for worst performing month.

Janet Yellen’s words painted an improving picture for the overall economy. She expressed sufficient improvement in the labor market and gradual increases in economic output. Specifically, the area she cited enthusiastically was the “solid growth in household spending.” For those of us that are interested in knowing what’s happening in our world economically speaking –

United States Q2-2016 GDP growth figures came in at 1.1% (below 1.2% earlier est.). For Americans standard of living to increase and stay above the cost of food, shelter and heath care costs, the growth rate needs to step up another 2 percent on a continuum.http://bit.ly/2blffhe  

Arkansas & Tennessee led the nation in percentage employment growth the past 12 months, illustrated below, as the percentage decrease of unemployed workers in each state. The state of Wyoming fared worst in putting its residents back to work.

If you are looking for a better career or higher wages, go to where the jobs are. In this case, the top ten metropolitan cities with highest employment growth are in Florida, Texas and California. Oh, and two of those three states have zero state income tax. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.