US data calendar puts jobs, housing and Fed flow figures in focus
Friday’s US releases include the December jobs report, delayed housing starts, January sentiment and the Federal Reserve’s third-quarter flow of funds data.
By Ingrid Halvorsen · Staff Writer
· 2 min read
US economic data due Friday will bring fresh readings on employment, housing construction, consumer sentiment and household-sector finances, according to the schedule published by Calculated Risk. The December employment report is the central release, with Calculated Risk citing a consensus for 55,000 jobs added and a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.5%.
The jobs report is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET. For investors and policymakers, the payrolls figure and unemployment rate are among the highest-profile measures of labor-market momentum, especially when assessed alongside inflation and interest-rate conditions.
Calculated Risk listed three additional releases later in the day. Housing starts for September and October are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET, the same time as the University of Michigan’s preliminary January consumer sentiment index. The Federal Reserve’s third-quarter Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States are scheduled for noon ET.
Friday’s scheduled US releases
8:30 a.m. ET: December employment report. Calculated Risk cited a consensus forecast for 55,000 jobs added and an unemployment rate of 4.5%.
10:00 a.m. ET: Housing starts for September and October.
10:00 a.m. ET: University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index for January.
12:00 p.m. ET: Federal Reserve third-quarter Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States.
The release of housing starts for both September and October will add to the day’s focus on the real economy. Housing starts measure the pace at which new residential construction begins, making the figures relevant for assessing homebuilding activity and the construction pipeline.
The University of Michigan’s preliminary sentiment index will provide an early January reading on consumer attitudes. Consumer sentiment surveys are watched because household expectations can influence spending behavior, although the scheduled release cited by Calculated Risk provides only the preliminary reading for the month.
The Federal Reserve’s flow of funds report will arrive after the morning data. Calculated Risk identified the release as the third-quarter Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States, a quarterly Fed publication that records financial positions and flows across sectors of the US economy.
Calculated Risk also noted that mortgage-rate information shown with the schedule came from MortgageNewsDaily.com and referred to top-tier scenarios. No mortgage-rate figure was specified in the schedule.
This story draws on original reporting from Calculated Risk.
