WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the first time since March, the number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims increased on a week-over-week basis. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday morning that more than 1.4 million people filed for assistance during the week ending July 18, an increase of 109,000 from the previous week. It is the first weekly increase in 15 weeks. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected an increase of 1.3 million claims. The four-week moving average stood at 1.4 million, a decrease of 16,500 from the previous four-week average.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The advanced estimate for June retail sales nationwide is up 7.5 percent on a month-over-month basis, the U.S. Commerce Department reports. Consumers visited stores and auto dealerships in-person for the second straight month as businesses began reopening their doors. Retail sales totaled $524.3 billion in June, up from $487.7 billion in May. The most recent figure shows spending is near pre-pandemic levels, as the Commerce Department reported that February 2020 spending reached $527.3 billion. The Commerce Department also revised the May retail sales rate up by 50 basis points to 18.2 percent growth from April. Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation (NRF), says that while the growth is trending positively, the increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases across the country could slow sales in the months to come. As of this writing, there were nearly 3.6 million positive cases in the U.S, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Additionally, JHU reports that there were 77,255 new cases Thursday, setting a single-day record. “The retail sales numbers from last month were very encouraging and reflect continued progress in the right direction,” says Shay. “However, recent spikes in infection rates across the country have us focused …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another 1.3 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment assistance during the week ending July 11, the U.S. Department of Labor reports. The figure is down 10,000 from the previous week’s total. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected just under 1.3 million claims. The four-week moving average decreased by 60,000 claims to nearly 1.4 million. This marks the 16th consecutive week that the initial claims have totaled more than 1 million due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Whole Foods Market will open a new location July 23 in Washington, D.C. The new 46,000-square-foot grocery store will be situated at 967 Florida Ave. NW in D.C.’s Pleasant Plains neighborhood, less than two miles north of downtown D.C. and less than one mile from Howard University. The new store will offer a full-service butcher, bakery, produce department and a seafood counter. Amazon Prime members who shop at the location will have access to two-hour delivery on certain items, as well as a 10 percent discount on several in-store items.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The novel coronavirus could result in record-levels in spending for back-to-school supplies as families across the country are expected to buy more electronics to prepare for at-home learning, a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics has found. Major school systems around the country, including the Ivy League, Los Angeles Public School District, Atlanta Public Schools, New York City Public School system and the University of California school system have announced virtual learning or a hybrid of in-person and online classes for this fall. According to the annual survey, spending could reach $789.49 per family with children in elementary through high school, which would break last year’s record expectations of $696.70 per family. College students are expected to spend $1,059.20 per family. Retail spending from college students and their families is expected to total $67.7 billion, up from $54.5 billion last year and breaking the record of $55.3 billion set in 2018. Total spending for kindergarten through college combined is projected to reach $101.6 billion — exceeding last year’s $80.7 billion and topping the $100 billion mark for the first time. NRF surveyed 7,481 U.S. consumers from July 1 to 8. …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Greysteel has negotiated the sale of The Waring and The Regent, two apartment communities in Washington, D.C. Urban Investment Partners acquired both assets for a total of $21 million. In the first deal, 1433 T Street Associates LLC sold The Waring, a 38-unit property located at 1433 T St., for $12.5 million. In the second deal, Mozart LLC sold The Regent, a 37-unit property located at 2517 Mozart Place NW, for $8.5 million. The Waring was built in 1909 and is situated less than one mile from downtown Washington, D.C. The property offers studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans averaging 573 square feet. The seller recently upgraded unit interiors, including fully renovating the kitchens and bathrooms. The Regent, which is situated less than one mile from The Waring, offers studio through two-bedroom floor plans averaging 732 square feet. Ari Firoozabadi, W. Kyle Tangney and Herbert Schwat of Greysteel represented the seller in each deal and procured the buyer.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An additional 1.3 million Americans have filed for first-time unemployment assistance for the week ending July 4, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected just under 1.4 million claims. The most recent week continues a declining week-over-week trend, coming in at 99,000 fewer claims than the week ending June 27. The four-week rolling average was 19.1 million, down by 636,000 claims from the previous rolling average. Additionally, the continuing claims are steadily declining, coming in at just over 18 million, a decrease of 698,000 claims from the previous week.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs in June, the highest single-month addition on record, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The nonfarm payroll employment report soundly beat expectations. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected 3 million jobs to be added in June. The unemployment rate fell 220 basis points to 11.1 percent. The recovery could hit another snag in coming months, however, as coronavirus cases surge again, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Several state governors have ordered restaurants and bars to shut down for a second time since March. The leisure and hospitality sector is continuing its recovery, having added 2.1 million jobs in June and 1.2 million in May. The sector lost a combined 8.2 million jobs in March and April. The retail trade industry is another sector that was hit hard by the COVID-19 shutdown, having lost 2.4 million jobs in March and April. The sector added 740,000 jobs in June and 372,000 in May, accounting for nearly half of the lost jobs. Employment totals also rose in education and health services (568,000), manufacturing (356,000) and construction (158,000). Additionally, the Association of General Contractors …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) chief economist Jack Kleinhenz surmises that the recession brought on by the outbreak of COVID-19 may have already ended. Citing encouraging tailwinds such as a rebound in jobs (7.5 million jobs in May and June combined) and a strong quarter by the stock market, Kleinhenz says that the recession could be over just as fast as it came, though that won’t be determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research for a while. “While it would be unusual for a recession to last less than six months, it is possible,” says Kleinhenz. “The bad news is there is plenty of uncertainty on the shape of the reopening of the economy, and the recovery will be slow even if we are no longer in recessionary territory.” Despite the upward trajectory of the U.S. economy on metrics such as consumer spending and retail sales, Kleinhenz emphasizes that the economic recovery will still be dictated by whether efforts to end the pandemic are successful. The veteran economist warns that the second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks in markets such as Florida and Texas is a “major threat” to the recovery. “These outbreaks are alarming, and if …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have updated their multifamily forbearance programs for borrowers still being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In late March, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae enacted 90-day relief plans for borrowers. With that period ending soon and several borrowers still struggling to fulfill their mortgage payments in the midst of the outbreak, the two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) have extended deadlines and terms of their respective forbearance programs. Under Fannie Mae’s guidelines, borrowers will have up to 24 months following its forbearance period to repay any missed payments. While in forbearance, a borrower may not evict any resident for missed payments. Borrowers with loans from both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae with a forbearance agreement in place may not charge tenants late fees or penalties solely because of the nonpayment of rent during the forbearance period or the borrowers’ repayment period. The forbearance program also requires borrowers to provide flexibility to tenants, allowing the repayment of back rent over time and not in a lump sum. The borrower must also give tenants a 30-day notice to vacate prior to any evictions taking place.