November’s Weak Jobs Report Pushes the Fed Toward More Monetary Stimulus

The Bureau of Labor Statistics finally released its November report today—after a nearly ten-day delay—and the latest data shows that the employment situation in America continues to slowly worsen. During November, the unemployment rate increased to a fifty-month high of 4.6 percent even though total payrolls rose by 64,000 from October to November. Overall, November’s report showed lackluster payroll growth fueled by rising numbers in part time employment. 

President Trump’s “Mission Accomplished” Moment

Unless President Trump reverses course, the “Lower Prices Bigger Paychecks” banner that hung behind him at his “affordability” speech this month will be remembered as being to economic policy what President George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” banner was to foreign policy.

According to a Politico poll, many Americans are having difficulty paying for food, housing, transportation, and health care. Thirty-seven percent of Americans cannot afford to take their family to a professional sports event while 46 percent of Americans cannot afford airfare for a vacation.

An Economic Contagion

On a recent road trip to a family event, I did an experiment while listening to Bloomberg for six hours in both directions. The various hosts were all interested in the topic of “contagion” and whether or not their guests thought we were in an artificial intelligence bubble. One pretty young host lamented that work was more fun when the market is going up.

It’s Time to Renew Your Mises Membership

It’s that time again! Join or renew your 2026 Membership with the Mises Institute and be part of a community that champions Austrian economics, freedom, and peace.

Why Join? In a world facing economic challenges, the ideas of Ludwig von Mises have never been more vital. Help us lead the charge against statism in all its forms. If you join today, you’ll receive Ryan McMaken’s newest booklet, The Fight for Liberty.