As we head into the second half of 2021, the virus appears to be contained at the national level. The declining medical risks have been good for the economy, with consumer and business activity back to pre-pandemic levels. Markets have celebrated the good news by hitting all-time highs. We’re on the road back to normal—but will risks like labor shortages, supply-chain gaps, and inflation derail the recovery? Watch my 2021 Midyear Outlook video to find out.
News
Monday Update (on Tuesday): Hiring Accelerates in June
There were a number of important economic data releases last week, with better-than-expected results for consumer confidence and hiring in June serving as highlights. The June jobs report showed that hiring accelerated during the month, demonstrating the positive impact from eased restrictions at the state and local levels. This week will be relatively quiet, with only three major economic updates scheduled.
Market Thoughts for July 2021 [Video]
June was a mixed month for the markets. In the U.S., the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 were up, but the Dow ticked down. We saw the same trend internationally, with developed markets falling even as emerging markets moved ahead. On the economic front, business confidence remains at or close to all-time highs. Still, the problems of success (labor shortages and supply chain issues) loom large.
Euro Area Hits Its Stride
As with the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on the European economy, not to mention the continued uncertainty regarding Brexit. The U.S. and China were among the first countries on the path to economic recovery, while Europe struggled to emerge from the lockdowns and had a rough start to its vaccination program.
Demographics and the Labor Market—It’s the Boomers’ Fault
Yesterday, we looked closely at how the labor market has changed over the past couple of decades. Briefly, the number of job openings kept growing with the economy, while the number of unemployed people stayed roughly constant. As a result, the number of jobs available per unemployed person hit new highs and the number of excess workers—available workers less the job openings—went into deficit. Before the pandemic, there were more job openings than workers to fill them, for the first time. Currently, although the pandemic changed things temporarily, the labor market is back to worker shortage. As we look ahead to the next decade, will this trend continue?
Is the Labor Market Really That Tight?
So, let’s get back to the labor market discussion we started last week. Today, I want to take a deeper look at the key assumptions we referenced the other day, specifically that there will end up being more workers than jobs. As we discussed then, this has been the case for decades. But, in recent years, that dynamic has been changing as employment rose to new highs and unemployment dropped to multi-decade lows.
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Ashley has been working in the customer service field since she started her first job at age 16. For the past ten years she worked in an office setting handling accounts payable and receivable as well as some receptionist work. She is very excited to learn more about the investment field.
Alec joined Riverstone after starting out his post college career on the operations side of an international logistics company working as an account executive. Graduating with a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he quickly developed a strong interest in the financial world. A lifetime resident of the Chicagoland area, Alec is an avid fan of his hometown sports teams. He is also an enthusiast of outdoor activities like fishing, camping, and hiking whenever possible.
Carol has a wide variety of experiences and has worked mainly with not-for-profit organizations. She spent 20 years in fundraising and 15 years teaching in the Illinois school system while she raised her younger children. Carol lives in Sugar Grove with her husband, Ron, and their Golden Retriever, Charley. She has four children and two grandchildren. When she’s not working, Carol enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, fishing, bible study, and watching her grandchildren play sports.
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