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News / Brian Higgs

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION – DECEMBER 2016

The Employment Situation – December 2016

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 156,000 in December, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job growth occurred in health care and social assistance.

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MIQ Supply Chain Alert

The Trump Administration and the Potential Effects on International Trade

A Tax on Imports?

Yes, this is under serious consideration.  President-Elect Trump has complained repeatedly about the unfair advantage enjoyed by nearly all of America’s trading partners, almost all of whom employ consumption-based value-added taxes (VAT) as a revenue source.  The “unfair” advantage results from zero-rating exports and fully taxing imports.  Because the US derives revenues primarily from income taxes, WTO rules make it difficult to implement a similar “border adjustment”

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Manufacturing Logistics

December 2016 Manufacturing ISM Report On Business

Source: Institute for Supply Management 

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in December, and the overall economy grew for the 91st consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.

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MANUFACTURING AND TRADE INVENTORIES AND SALES – OCTOBER 2016

Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales – October 2016

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Sales. The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for October, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,326.8 billion, up 0.8 percent (±0.2%) from September 2016 and was up 2.1 percent (±0.4%) from October 2015.

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ATA Truck Tonnage

ATA Truck Tonnage Index Jumped 8.2% in November

Source: The American Trucking Associations

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index surged 8.2% in November, following a 0.3% drop during October. In November, the index equaled 142.4 (2000=100), up from 131.6 in October. The all-time high was 144 in February.

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Cass Freight Index

Cass Freight Index Report – November 2016

Source: Cass Information Systems, Inc. 

After a promising Shipments Index in October broke the string of 20 months in negative territory, November fell back into negative territory, albeit slightly. We have seen a wide range of results in the different modes: from continued volume growth in parcel and airfreight driven by e-commerce, to a sequential improvement in truck tonnage, to less bad rail and barge volume overall. Although it is far too early to make a ‘change in trend’ call, data is beginning to suggest that the consumer is finally starting to spend a little, and that with the recent surge in the price of crude the industrial economy’s rate of deceleration has eased. If the winter of the current year-and-a-half freight recession in the U.S. is not over, it is certainly showing increasing signs of thawing.

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MIQ Supply Chain Alert

Canada eManifest Requirement

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) designed the eManifest initiative to modernize and improve cross-border commercial processes. When fully implemented, eManifest will require all carriers, freight forwarders and importers to electronically transmit advance commercial information about their shipments.

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Import Logistics

Holiday season sparks retail import shipments, says Port Tracker

Logistics Management

With the last of holiday season merchandise making its way to retailers, United States-bound imports are expected to see a bump in December, according to the most recent edition of the Port Tracker report issued today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and maritime consultancy Hackett Associates.

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U.S. Economic Snapshot

“The U.S. LEI increased in October for a second consecutive month. Although its six-month growth rate has moderated, the index still suggests that the economy will continue expanding into early 2017,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Director of Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board. “The interest rate spread and average weekly hours were the main drivers of October’s improvement, helping to offset some of the weaknesses in claims for unemployment insurance and new orders.”  The Conference Board   

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The Employment Situation Summary – November 2016

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

The unemployment rate declined to 4.6 percent in November, and total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 178,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment gains occurred in professional and business services and in health care.

In November, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage point to 4.6 percent, and the number of unemployed persons declined by 387,000 to 7.4 million. Both measures had shown little movement, on net, from August 2015 through October 2016.

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