Posts in category: Economic Development

–With a surge in business establishments

By Dr. Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair in Business Professor of Finance, Indiana University Southeast

New data are out at the county level, and it shows that Southern Indiana continues to see strong job expansion. For the first quarter of 2022, the five Southern Indiana counties that comprise Louisville Metro added another 2,982 jobs from the previous year.  How does this gain compare to previous years? Since 2001, quarterly gains exceeding that number have only occurred on five separate occasions, excluding the outsize changes connected to Covid. So, a gain of almost 3,000 jobs is significant.

The highest number of job changes occurred in the accommodation and food services industry, adding 1,682 jobs from the previous year.  One of the challenges facing this industry has been labor availability.  As consumers shift spending from goods to services spending, food and drinking places, along with accommodation establishments, have faced challenges in meeting demand.  The added jobs reflect the strong demand for food and accommodation and an expanding regional labor force. The expanding labor force is providing the labor for payroll gains, and this is reflected in this large increase.

The second largest gain occurred in the “administrative and support and waste management and remediation services” industry, adding 886 jobs. While this includes everything from garbage pickup to custodial services (BLS states “office administration, hiring and placing of personnel, document preparation and similar clerical services, solicitation, collection, security and surveillance services, cleaning and waste disposal services), the large gains usually reflect changes in temporary labor services.

Strong gains also occurred in wholesale and retail trade.  Retail added another 367 jobs compared to the first quarter of 2021.  Retail trade establishments have also faced significant challenges in hiring.   Despite some of these hiring challenges, retail trade employment is higher than in the first quarters of 2019 and 2020. The death of brick-and-mortar stores has been greatly exaggerated!   Yes, more shoppers continue to rely on the convenience of online shopping, but it is still possible to succeed in physical retail.

The most significant aspect of the data relates to the number of establishments.  The number of establishments across the five counties increased by 260 compared to the previous year.   This is the largest gain since 2001. The previous high occurred during the first quarter of 2020, the same quarter of the Covid-related shutdowns.  Nation-wide, there was also a significant increase in business formations.  The most recent quarter, however, is perhaps reflective of the attractive environment for business formation and expansion across Southern Indiana.

Average weekly wages increased by $76, representing a 9.1% change from the previous year. The average weekly wage of $913 for the first quarter is the highest on record for first quarter wages. Driving these gains were transportation and warehousing and wholesale trade, increasing by $145 and $143 respectively.

In our last column, we talked about the wild ride that we could expect on September 13th.  As we have discussed in this series, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is now the most important economic indicator, larger than the almighty monthly employment report.  We saw that play out this past September 13^th;   unfortunately, that was not a wild ride of enjoyment.  The CPI report showed that the core rate (CPI less food and energy) of inflation increased by an amount that was more than anticipated, and at a rate that was double the monthly change in July.   The equity markets threw a major fit, with the Down losing more than 1,000 points.  An increase of 75 basis points by the Fed is just about guaranteed, and there is now an outside chance of 100 basis points (1 percentage point).

(September 16, 2022) – Conexus Indiana announced today results of a comprehensive study measuring the impact of the statewide Manufacturing Readiness Grants program. The $138.9 million in technology adoption projects spurred by Manufacturing Readiness Grants are adding jobs, growing wages and increasing company revenues, resulting in a 26 percent internal rate of return for the State of Indiana.

The Manufacturing Readiness Grants program was launched in 2020 as part of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Economic Activity Stabilization and Enhancement (EASE) program and was extended through a separate appropriation from the Indiana General Assembly in 2021. Since inception, $17.4 million in matching grants through 212 awards have been made to stimulate private sector investments in technologies such as next-generation machines, cobots, machine vision and additive manufacturing to modernize Indiana’s manufacturing industry.

The “Manufacturing Readiness Grants Program 2022 Impact Report” analyzed data from nearly 170 projects to determine technology adoption trends and identify how and why those technologies are being deployed in manufacturers’ operations. A separate survey of 75 Manufacturing Readiness Grants recipients showed the program’s impact on jobs, wages and company revenue.

Key findings from the survey include:

• Companies that adopted a smart manufacturing technology on average added five new positions; they also anticipated wages to grow on average $196,000 per project.
• The average revenue impact to companies was $2.5 million, with 37 percent of those companies reporting that they anticipated revenue growth of more than 10 percent.

“Our data show that Indiana companies and the State of Indiana are clearly benefiting from the Manufacturing Readiness Grants program,” said Ryan Henderson, Conexus Indiana’s director of Innovation and Digital Transformation. “Automation and advanced technologies continue to help companies grow and add new positions, providing additional opportunities for Hoosiers to succeed in the advanced manufacturing industry.”

In its review of projects supported by Manufacturing Readiness Grants, Conexus Indiana uncovered several trends among Indiana manufacturers:

• As automation and advanced technologies become more pervasive in manufacturing operations, companies are adding jobs and increasing wages.
• Indiana small- to medium-sized companies are accelerating technology adoption (i.e., cobots, advanced robotics and machine vision) to a pace similar to their larger counterparts to support growth and improve productivity.
• Digital adoption is demonstrating value across a wide array of industry segments, including fabricated metal products, plastics and rubber, food and beverage and furniture.
• Strategic business drivers for technology investments include improved product quality, customer service improvements and onshoring and expansion into new markets, highlighting how companies are increasing their competitive edge over national and global peers.

Conexus Indiana partnered with Purdue University’s Dauch Center for the Management of Manufacturing Enterprises to analyze technology trends among the dozens of Manufacturing Readiness Grants awardees. Additionally, Conexus Indiana fielded an Impact Survey during the month of April 2022 at the request of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to gather data on jobs, wages and company growth.

To read the full “Manufacturing Readiness Grants Program 2022 Impact Report” visit the Conexus Indiana website at https://www.conexusindiana.com/manufacturing-readiness-grants-program-2022-impact-report/

Manufacturing Readiness Grant awards announced as of September 6, 2022:

• Number of grant awards: 212
• Grant funding: $17.4 million
• Total company capital investment: $138.9 million
• Leverage ratio (calculation of projected capital investment made by industry as a result of grant funding): 7:1. For every $1 of grant funding, $7 of industry investment is generated.
• Total number of Indiana counties where grant awards have been made: 60

 About Conexus Indiana

For more than a decade, Conexus Indiana, one of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) non-profit initiatives, has been positioning the Hoosier State as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to innovate, invest, employ and succeed. By collaborating with industry, academic and public sector partners on a shared vision for an innovative, skilled workforce and stronger business climate, Conexus Indiana has helped to create opportunities for advanced manufacturing and logistics companies, prepare Hoosiers to succeed in the state’s largest industry sectors and maintain Indiana’s competitive advantage. For more information, visit conexusindiana.com.

By Dr. Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair in Business  Professor of Finance, Indiana University Southeast

As the summer comes to an end, the past two weeks brought us more fun with another ride on the wild roller coaster stock market ride.   The ticket to this ride was made possible by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, through remarks made at Jackson Hole, WY for the annual Kansas City Federal Reserve annual economic summit.   Uttering the words “keep at it” was enough for a market plunge, shedding more than 1,000 points on the Dow.   About ½ of summer equity rally gains have just about evaporated, with the Dow shaving about 2,000 points in just two weeks.

The Powell talk helped reversed market perceptions that the Fed would be able to pivot away from more aggressive rate increases.    Hence, the reaction was swift and ferocious.   The irony is that the adverse market reaction occurred at the same time economic releases pointed to a deceleration in inflation, what the market was previously anticipating and priced accordingly.  The Fed’s preferred inflation indicator, the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCI) Deflator was released the same day as the Powell talk, and it showed that inflation had decelerated from the previous month, and on a yearly basis. The last Consumer Price Index (CPI) report also showed that prices were flat over the month and had also decelerated on an annual basis.

Last Friday saw a positive jobs report that some had described as the “Goldilocks” of reports. Payrolls exceeded expectations, with employers adding more than 300,000 jobs.   There were two aspects of the report that were even more favorable and can potentially have stock market implications later this year, thereby reversing the “keep at it” driven market plunge.

The first was the change in the labor force, increasing by a whopping 786,000 in August.  How does this compare to typical monthly changes?   In 30 years, labor force changes greater than that level only occurred 10 times (out of 360 monthly observations).  In the past five years, such a change ranks in the top five, and three of these monthly occurrences were the outsize effects of Covid.   The large jump in the labor force reversed some of the recent declines of this year and moved the economy’s labor force to the highest level of all time.  More about the significance of this later.

The second piece of information from the report was about hourly earnings. Average hourly earnings increased another .3% an hour, but this was less than the consensus and lower than the .47% prior month increase.  Since April, average hourly earnings on a year-over-year basis have been on a steady decline.

Why are these two items important?  Both relate to the price of labor and supply chain issues.   A growing labor force will apply headwinds to average hourly earnings and bring continued relief to supply chain issues, a source of some of the inflationary moves.  Combine this with slowing overall growth, and demand destruction from inflation, and you will see continued declines in the CPI, and these could even accelerate as we enter the last quarter and into next year.  This will have stock market implications to the upside.

The big increase in the labor force should be welcome news for employers.   Even though the economy saw an uptick in the unemployment rate, the labor market remains very tight.  The last JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey) report showed another increase in job openings.   Job openings now exceed the number of unemployed by about 2.  For every unemployed person, there are 2 job openings available.   Grant it, there may be a mismatch in skills and experience for certain openings, but the large level of openings, relative to unemployed, demonstrates the tightness of the labor market.   This is precisely why the significant pick-up in the labor force was substantial.  The JOLTS report produced a negative market reaction, another example of “good news is bad news” and provided more evidence for the Fed to go with an increase of 75 basis points during their next meeting.

We saw some improvements in the mood of the consumer.  While the Michigan Consumer Sentiment number remains at a historically low level, the index has improved over the past two months, with the latest beating the consensus.  The Consumer Confidence Index, while not at record low levels, also showed improvement from the previous month.   Consumer spending did slow from the prior month but remained slightly positive, and above a consensus of no change.  Cooling inflation, especially through gas prices, will feed improvements in consumer sentiment.

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the CPI report, at least temporarily, is now the most important economic indicator.   The next report is out September 13, and we should expect another deceleration in price increases.   Depending on the extent of the moderation,  September 13 could be another big day in the equity markets.  Mark your calendars for another wild ride!

By Dr. Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair in Business and Professor of Finance, Indiana University Southeast

A few weeks ago, we wrote about the tug of war between prices, growth, and profits. We saw some of this play out in the past couple of weeks with the market significance and impact of inflation, through the announcement of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The consensus was 8.7% on the annual CPI rate, and the release came in at 8.5%. It is a given that 8.5% is significantly above the preferred 2% range of the Fed. However, this was the first time in a while (don’t quote me, but I think all of 2022 and part of 2021) that the actual was less than expected. The month-over-month change was flat or 0%. The core, which removes the cost of food and energy, was also less than expected at 5.9%. The CPI release was met with a strong bounce in the equity markets.

Declining fuel prices and overall moderating prices will have a positive impact on consumer sentiment. We saw this with the latest release of the Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey. This measure of consumer sentiment had seen historic low levels and was dragged down by consumer frustration with inflationary prices. If we go back a few decades, we observe a negative correlation between consumer sentiment and inflation. In a nutshell, when prices are up, sentiment is down. When prices are down, sentiment is up. The last report saw an uptick in consumer sentiment, with the index hitting 55.1, higher than the consensus estimate of 52.5. If we continue to see moderating prices, especially at the pump, look for consumer sentiment to continue to rise. Sentiment will also get a boost from recovering equity prices, excluding the bumpy ride observed last Friday and Monday of this week.

With respect to the consumer, resilience is the word. Retail sales, ex-autos, and fuel came in much higher than expected. These are not adjusted for inflation, but you are not seeing a collapse on the part of the consumer. Overall retail sales were flat from month over month. After stripping out automobiles and fuel, retail sales increased by .72%, and this was more than double the expected amount of .32%.

Manufacturing saw mixed data over the past couple of weeks. The Empire State Manufacturing Index, a measure of manufacturing in the New York area, plummeted from the month prior. The consensus was 5.5 and the actual was -31.3, compared to 11.1 in the prior month. This is only one indicator, and it takes more than one data point to establish a trend. This is one to watch.

While the New York report was dismal, the Philly Fed showed the complete opposite. Manufacturing rebounded from the previous month, with the index showing 6.2, compared to an estimate of -5.0, and a prior reading of -12.3. These regional indicators tend to be volatile from month to month, but we can glean information about the overall trajectory of manufacturing. Industrial production was more consistent with the Philly manufacturing indicator. The Industrial Production Index came in at .6%, beating an expectation of .3%. The manufacturing component of the index was also quite strong, coming in at more than double the consensus estimate.

While some of these indicators are mixed, I’m still in the camp of an overall positive outlook on manufacturing. The inventory-to-sales ratio moved up a bit, given the increase in inventory levels. However, the ratio is still depressed compared to pre-pandemic levels, and significantly under the average over the past 30 years.

The labor market continues to show signs of strength. We saw the blowout jobs report last month with over 500,000 jobs added. The past two weeks saw no significant run-up in unemployment claims. The last week, in fact, saw a decline in weekly claims. New claims for unemployment were at 250,000, well below a number we typically associate with a recession.

Locally, the unemployment rate in Indiana increased by .2% points in July. This was the highest rate increase in the country. The state’s labor force increased by around 15,000 and the number of unemployed increased by about 8,000. So, while we did see an increase in the number of unemployed, the positive aspect of the report was that this was due to labor force growth, which is what we need to see.

What does all this mean? The market was jubilant because inflation may have peaked. If we are indeed past peak inflation, the Fed may have the ammunition it needs to reduce the aggressiveness of rate increases. So, instead of 75 basis points, 50 basis points may now be possible. This Friday will be a big day with an address by Chairman Powell. Lower interest rates are good for valuations, and that’s why we saw the strong equity bounces in the market. If equity valuations hold, combine this with moderating prices, and you will see consumer sentiment start to rebound. All this does not mean that we will escape slower growth, that is coming. With only a few upticks in the unemployment rate, along with more positive consumer sentiment, the Fed may get the soft landing it has been seeking all along. As we close out the year, look for profits to take center stage.

By Dr. Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair in Business and Professor of Finance, Indiana University Southeast

The big monthly jobs report was released last Friday, and the headline number was out of the ballpark!   About 250,000 jobs were expected but the Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed that more than 500,000 jobs were added in July. Even a number like 250,000 would be considered above average in normal economic times, but 500,000 is through the roof!   The blowout report means that we will likely see another rate increase of ¾% at the next Fed meeting.

Unemployed ranks declined by 242,000, and this was reflected in a drop in the nation’s unemployment rate to 3.5%.   In a nutshell, the national labor market remains very tight.   The labor force showed a decline of 63,000, and the number of workers not in the labor force increased by another 239,000. The labor force participation rate declined. Labor force numbers were a dimmer on an overall positive report. There is a reason why the economy has observed record-breaking levels of investments in machinery and software, and labor force availability is a major driver.

Hiring was the strongest in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and health care.   Other notable gains of local interest include 30,000 additional jobs in manufacturing and 21,000 jobs in transportation and warehousing.

The BLS also released the latest employment report for metropolitan areas.  Louisville Metro is now observing steady increases in the metro area labor force.   This had been one of the biggest challenges facing employers, and while challenges do remain, labor force growth is headed in the right direction. The report showed labor force gains from May to June of approximately 6,500 (preliminary estimate, and subject to subsequent revision) for the metro region, which includes Floyd and Clark counties in Southern Indiana. Compared to February 2020, the metro labor force is larger by approximately 13,000 workers.

The number of unemployed in the region declined further. The unemployed ranks dropped by another 1,600 (estimate) to about 24,000. This compares to 37,000 unemployed same time last year.  A growing labor force with a decline in the number of unemployed produced a lower unemployment rate of 3.4%, down from the 3.7% in May.

We are seeing the positive impact of labor force growth on the ability of employers to increase payrolls.  Job growth in Louisville Metro increased by another 6,000, pushing payrolls up by 24,000 over the year. Excluding the abnormal year-over-year changes observed last year, a gain of 24,000 jobs is the highest in the past 30 years.  Total payrolls in Louisville Metro are now at 682,000. In February 2020, metro payrolls were at 680,000.

During the pandemic, the country’s economy saw a massive shift to goods spending. Consumers rushed to improve their homes, buy camping and outdoor sporting equipment, computers and equipment for remote working, sofas, and appliances, etc.  This surge in goods spending could not continue, and we will continue to see a shift away from goods to services.  There is still pent-up demand on the services side, and the consumer is simply directing their spending there.  Gas prices are declining, and this will also support continued growth on the services side, particularly travel. The latest ISM report on services showed additional growth.

On the goods side, there is still pent-up demand in the automobile sector. Inventories relative to sales remain very lean.  Households have delayed automotive purchases due to the lack of available models on the lot, and this is reflected in historically low auto sales levels.  So, while overall goods spending will see a decline, pent-up demand remains in automotive, and this will be a benefit for Louisville and Southern Indiana.  So, when we combine what we are now seeing in services, and the general outlook for automobile manufacturing, the outlook for Louisville Metro remains upbeat.

We will get another round of the Consumer Price Index report this week, and we’ll likely see a moderation in the headline rate. Depending on the magnitude of the decline and the core (CPI minus food and energy) inflation rate, we could see a very strong positive reaction in the equity markets.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) Roars Again!

By Dr. Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair in Business and Professor of Finance, Indiana University Southeast

The past couple of weeks saw a variety of reports offering mixed signals on the outlook for the economy. The last column talked about the tug of war among profits, growth and inflation and we saw this play out the past couple of weeks through stock market reactions.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed another acceleration in prices, and peak inflation was delayed yet again. Prices increased by 1.3% over the month, the largest in a year, and hit a 9.1% annual rate.  Although the last report did show another uptick in price growth, we will likely begin to see some deceleration in prices the rest of the year.   In other words, last month may have been the high point on the inflationary front. The core CPI, which strips out food and energy, declined to 5.9%.   It peaked at 6.4% back in March.  While still elevated, nationwide gasoline prices have declined by almost a dollar since the first week of June.   We are also seeing declines in diesel, peaking in the first quarter of this year.  This is an important development in the inflation picture because of the energy impact on the overall CPI. While the overall change in the CPI was 9.1%, gasoline increased a whopping 60% in one year.  A year ago, used car prices had increased 45% over the year.  In this last report, used car price increases slowed to 7.1%.   While the headline inflation rate continued to climb, bond markets have begun to price in a deceleration in price growth. The implied rate of inflation with five-year TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities) declined from a peak of 3.56% in March down to 2.56% in July.

Despite the significant headwinds faced by the consumer, spending continues.  The last retail sales report showed an increase for June of 1%, exceeding the consensus estimate of .9%.    This was a signal for growth, and the Dow finished the day with a gain of over 600 points.  Household finances are holding up even in the face of inflation.  Delinquency rates on credit cards and consumer loans have ticked up slightly since June but remain well below levels that existed in early 2020, and not even close to rates observed in the Great Recession.

Higher interest rates are doing what the Fed intended, and signs of slowing in the economy are emerging.  Both existing and new home sales have fallen to levels that are close to early 2020.   Building permits have receded from higher levels of late 2021 and early 2022.   Jobless claims have increased from a trough of 168,000 in early April of this year to 251,000.  Industrial production has shown a slight decline in activity, but levels remain higher than pre-Covid activity.   The last Markit PMI Composite measure showed a contraction in business activity.

There is a strong possibility that GDP growth will be negative for the 2^nd quarter.  This will make two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.   The debate has already started about whether this means we are in a recession.   The traditional definition of a recession is normally 2 consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.  However, much of what we have observed over the past two years has been anything but normal.  Given the tight labor market and consumer spending that is quite resilient, I don’t expect the National Bureau of Economic Research to declare a recession over the first or second half of the year.  As we’ve stated in prior columns, next year is more uncertain.

By Dr. Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair in Business and Professor of Finance, Indiana University Southeast

There has been a big debate about whether the US economy is currently in a recession, or if one is just around the corner.  Last week’s monthly employment report put the “currently in a recession” argument to rest, at least for now.  The Labor Department reported that the nation’s economy added 372,000 jobs in June, far exceeding the consensus estimate of 275,000.   The unemployment rate remained flat at 3.6%.  As this column has mentioned previously, it will be very difficult to declare a recession with an unemployment rate under 4% and an economy that continues to produce above-average payroll gains.  A good month in a normal economy is the addition of about 150,000 jobs, and recent activity is far exceeding that level.  The economy could see back-to-back quarters of negative GDP growth (the traditional definition of a recession), given that consumer spending must decline from sky-high levels observed over the past two years.

Additionally, the BLS JOLTS report showed that the number of job openings remains strong.   Over 11 million job openings exist right now, and this is almost double the 6 million unemployed. Weekly unemployment claims have increased by almost 50,000 since bottoming out in April of this year. While claims have been inching upward, readings are at levels not consistent with the declaration of a recession.

Manufacturing payrolls increased by 29,000 last month, higher than the consensus estimate of 23,000.  The ISM Index continues to show expansion in the manufacturing sector, but at a slower rate.  The latest Index came in at 53 (a number higher than 50 shows expansion), but this was lower than expected. While the ISM Report on Business did offer some evidence that the economy is slowing, durable goods orders, an important indicator of manufacturing, showed continued growth and remained strong. Factory orders and durable goods excluding transportation came in more than double what was expected.  Non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft are at the highest levels observed.

Over the next several weeks, we are going to observe a tug of war between different camps. There will be the “inflation less than expected” camp. Any data that point to a deceleration in prices will likely be met by strong positive responses in the equity markets. Related to this group is the “slower growth expected” camp. Economic data showing slowing growth will be met with either positive or negative reactions.  A positive reaction will occur due to the Fed getting a green light to slow interest rate increases. But a negative reaction will occur if this slower growth begins to erode profits. We saw this with last Friday’s employment report.  Payrolls came in very strong, and the unemployment rate remained flat at 3.6%.   The Dow and S&P 500 both finished lower on the day. This was an example of “good news is bad news” effect.   Good economic news brought a “bad news” response in the equity markets.  The positive jobs report was additional data for the Fed to continue aggressive rate hikes.  So, we will likely see another 75 basis points increase at the next Fed meeting.

We get the BLS CPI report on Wednesday.  Of all the economic releases, CPI is now probably the most important, ranking higher than the monthly employment report.  For the past two reports, “past peak” inflation was the phrase used in anticipation of each report.  However, market watchers were disappointed with headline inflation showing strong gains. The consensus is for another hot number, with inflation increasing at a rate higher than last month.  The month-over-month change in the core (CPI minus food and energy) rate of inflation will be closely examined for signs of slowing price growth.  The headline number is important but look at the month-over-month core CPI. If that shows some moderation from the previous month, look for a positive equity response.

Louisville Metro payrolls are up about 21,000 from last year. In absolute numbers, this is among the best over the past 30 years.  For May employment and labor force levels, Louisville is now higher than the totals that existed in May 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic.

An examination of Louisville Metro job postings reveals significant developments since pre-Covid times. First, we see that job postings continue to remain strong.  Job postings for the past quarter are about 20,000 higher than the level that existed for the same quarter of 2019 (Lightcast job postings data).   From April 2022 to June 2022, there were approximately 63,000 job postings across the Louisville Metro region, compared to roughly 43,000 in 2019.  While the Louisville Metro labor force has increased, it is not large enough to absorb the strong level of job postings.  On advertised salaries (fewer data are available on advertised salaries than job postings), we see significant increases in salaries from 2019.   Clark and Floyd advertised salaries increased by 21.6% and 23.9% respectively.   This represents a $6,848 increase in Clark and a $7,424 increase in Floyd.   It is important to note that these data are not from official government statistics but are retrieved from actual job postings with advertised salaries.   BLS data also point to wage gains across the region.

Data sources:  FactSet, BLS CPI, BLS Metropolitan Employment, Lightcast, BLS Employment, BLS JOLTS, ISM Report on Business, Census Factory Orders, Census Advance Report on Durable Goods.

By Dr. Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair in Business and Professor of Finance, Indiana University Southeast

One of the big stories of the last recession and ongoing recovery has been the labor force. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the monthly report on state employment and unemployment last week, and the report indicated that Indiana’s labor force growth showed additional progress, increasing by another 16,000 in May. Indiana is now up by 25,000 compared to last year, same time. Kentucky saw a small increase in its labor force and is up about 32,000 from last year.

Indiana’s unemployment rate remained flat at 2.2%, significantly under the May national rate of 3.6%. Kentucky saw its lowest unemployment rate in the history of the series, reaching 3.8%, down from the April rate of 3.9%.

Indiana saw a noticeable uptick in payrolls. The report indicated that Indiana added another 9,000 jobs, and total payrolls in Indiana now exceed the level that existed in February 2020 by about 15,000. Kentucky saw its payrolls decline by 5,000, and its payrolls remain about 22,000 under the level that existed in February 2020.

Turning to Southern Indiana, employment is at the highest level for an April reading in the history of the series. Employment in the region normally peaks in July of each year, but if we compare April 2022 employment to previous April levels, it was at the highest level.  The labor force is at the level that existed in February 2020. However, for an April reading, Southern Indiana’s labor force reached an all-time high. This places the region’s unemployment rate at a staggering 1.8%.

For the Louisville Metro region, like Southern Indiana, job postings continue to remain high. Over the last 30 days, job postings exceeded the number that existed around the same time in 2019, pre-Covid. The number of unemployed, relative to the size of the labor force, is at an all-time low.

We should expect to see continued gains in the labor force of both states.  Labor force growth remains a key measure of the ongoing recovery. A portion of inflationary pressures can be attributed to supply chain challenges, and labor force growth will help alleviate some of these.

The past two weeks did see an increase in the number of “bad news” reports. A big headline was in the BLS CPI report.  The CPI reading came in above consensus estimates at an 8.6% annual rate.   The core rate, which strips out food and fuel, was at 6% and slightly above expectations. There was a violently negative reaction in the equity markets. The high CPI reading signaled that the Fed could increase rates by more than ½ a percent.   And indeed, the Fed responded with an increase of 75 basis points the following week. Unlike the negative reaction that occurred to the CPI release, the markets closed higher that day.

We can see the impact of high gas prices and overall inflation on consumer sentiment.  The latest consumer sentiment survey showed another decline.  There are only two other time periods when sentiment was lower: the early 1980s and the Great Recession. Consumer sentiment is low because inflation is at its highest in several decades. Inflation is not the only driver of consumer sentiment, but it is a major factor, particularly with the high levels.  The combination of steep declines in consumer sentiment, along with equity market declines, historically equates to the recessionary territory.

There were a couple of regional reports in manufacturing that came in much weaker than expected.  The Empire Manufacturing report and the Philadelphia Fed Index both came in under expectations and moved lower. These are only two measures of manufacturing activity but could be providing early indicators of an overall slowing of manufacturing activity. While we may see some slowing in manufacturing, simply due to a continued transition to normalization, I’m not expecting a contraction in growth. The last ISM Report on Business indicated that orders remain strong and growing, and customer inventories remain at low levels.

We saw a small increase in unemployment claims, but this is generally a very volatile series.  So, we will need additional data and consistently increasing claims to lend strength to the recession argument.  Another important indicator is consumer spending, a significant component of GDP.   If we continue to see steady declines in consumer spending, along with increases in unemployment claims, the chances of a recession increase.

Higher gasoline prices and elevated inflation will begin to eat into consumer discretionary spending.  While household balance sheets remain strong, compared to pre-pandemic, consumers can only take so much.   Sectors that rely on discretionary spending may begin to be pinched by higher gas prices.   The last retail sales report showed a .3% decline in retail sales, but this was not necessarily unexpected.    The pandemic saw gains in retail sales that were above trend, and a return to a level consistent with earned wages is inevitable.    A transition from goods to services spending should also continue.   The latest report did see a decline in furniture and home furnishings and electronics and appliance stores.   Foodservice and drinking places saw an increase.

The wealth destruction taking place in the stock market will also not help. Even with the double punch of inflation and stock market declines, we should escape a recession this year.  Job openings are about double the number of unemployed, and labor markets remain very tight.   Next year, however, as the impact of higher interest rates is transmitted throughout the economy (one of the first impacts is the housing sector), the chance of a mild recession has increased.  My optimistic (and hopeful) pathway is that inflation begins to cool later this year, leading to a slower movement in Fed hikes, and strong positive reactions in the equity markets.

Sources:  Bureau of Labor Statistics State Employment and Unemployment, Census Retail Sales, FactSet, Burning Glass, BLS CPI May 2022, ISM Report on Business