Despite Gradual Slowing of Job Growth, Labor Market will Still Feel Tight in 2020

The US economy added 145,000 jobs in December, and previous months were revised down slightly. The unemployment rate remained at 3.5 percent. This month's job growth was in line with The Conference Board's view that the labor market appears to be in a healthy state.

Job creation was mainly concentrated in the services sector as well as in construction, while the decline of 12,000 jobs in manufacturing shows that this part of the economy is still weak. However, easing trade tensions between China and the US may help to further improve business confidence in 2020, as The Conference Board reported earlier this week.

With this month's increase in employment, the labor market ended 2019 on solid footing. In 2019, the unemployment rate reached its lowest point since the late 1960s and job growth was...

NCC Reaches Out to President Trump Regarding Recent ICE Actions in Mississippi

As a result of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arresting approximately 680 people in sweeping raids at seven sites in six different cities in Mississippi on Wednesday, August 7, the National Chicken Council sent the following letter on August 8 to President Trump.

Dear President Trump,

The National Chicken Council (NCC) writes to you regarding the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Mississippi on August 7, 2019. As these recent events have shown, the U.S. chicken industry is heavily affected by our nation’s immigration policy. We are not in a position to comment on any specific incident and do not presume to do so, but we do wish to...

Immigration Agents Raid Mississippi Meat Processing Plants

Yesterday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided multiple Mississippi poultry processing facilities to execute federal criminal warrants. Mike Hurst, U.S. Attorney, said, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents are executing federal search warrants today at multiple locations across the state of Mississippi as part of a coordinated operation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi pursuant to ongoing HSI administrative and criminal investigations."
 
During a press conference, Mike Hurst first gave credit to Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security for enforcing the law through arrests that were part of a year long investigation process. Hurst added that as a result of hard work, the largest single state immigration enforcement operation in the nation's history took place...

Consumer Confidence Index Rebounded in July

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rebounded in July, following a decrease in June. The Index now stands at 135.7 (1985=100), up from 124.3 in June. The Present Situation Index – based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions – increased from 164.3 to 170.9. The Expectations Index – based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions – increased from 97.6 last month to 112.2 this month.

“After a sharp decline in June, driven by an escalation in trade and tariff tensions, Consumer Confidence rebounded in July to its highest level this year,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “Consumers are once again optimistic about current and prospective business and...

U.S. Department of Labor Releases Productivity and Costs by Industry Report

The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics released its productivity and costs by industry in 2018 report. The report highlighted changes in the productivity of employees in various industries, along with the compensation workers receive.

The report provides statistics for merchant wholesalers that sell grocery and related products, food and grocery stores, and foodservice and drinking places.  

The report highlighted various statistics, including an upswing in labor productivity for foodservice in 2018, which climbed by 1.6 percent. In the same industry...