The Mainstream Media Is Wrong About Jobs

Being a "data guy" is endlessly frustrating... On one hand, you constantly hear the mainstream media shout about whatever the narrative of the day is. And on the other hand... [Chaikin PowerFeed]( The Mainstream Media Is Wrong About Jobs By Marc Chaikin, founder, Chaikin Analytics Being a "data guy" is endlessly frustrating... On one hand, you constantly hear the mainstream media shout about whatever the narrative of the day is. And on the other hand... you see what the data shows. More often than I'd like, the data doesn't align with the narrative of the day. That's happening again right now with the labor market... How many stories have you seen about layoffs? If you watch the news on TV or check out media outlets on the Internet, it likely feels like everyone is losing their jobs right now. And that's especially true in the tech sector. Now, it is true that some big-name companies are laying off employees. Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT) have all cut their workforces in recent months. But you might be surprised to learn... We're near record-low unemployment levels in the U.S. overall. And beyond that, the current number of job openings exceeds the labor force by nearly 5 million. The data is clear.. Recommended Links: [Recession Countdown? Take This One Step Immediately]( ONE signal has accurately predicted 8 out of the last 8 recessions (100% accuracy). And it just lit up again. Millions of Americans could lose their jobs... while huge masses lose their homes. Don't get blindsided - [click here for a top analyst's No. 1 defensive recommendation (expires at midnight tonight)](. [Up 588% in 3 years - and a BUY Today]( A widely followed name is speaking out about one particular stock. [Get the recommendation 100% free on this page here](. The U.S. economy has an unprecedented number of job openings today. Take a look... [Chaikin PowerFeed] This chart shows the total number of job openings in the country, excluding farm workers. And it involves some specific criteria. Here's how the Federal Reserve explains it... Total Nonfarm Job Openings are a measure of all jobs that are not filled on the last business day of the month. A job is considered open if a specific position exists and there is work available for it, the job can be started within 30 days, and there is active recruiting for the position. As you can see, job openings in the U.S. are near record highs. That's true even considering the recent round of layoffs that the media is so hyper-fixated on. And the gap between the current "civilian labor-force level" and the number of job openings is massive, too. As of February, that gap was roughly 4.7 million. In other words, employers need more employees. But the U.S. labor pool just doesn't have enough people right now to close the gap. So here's what it all means for us as investors... Put simply, a tight labor market means more growth is ahead. People with jobs buy stuff. And when people compete for jobs, wages go up. We know that the rate of inflation is slowing. Recent data shows that we're pulling back from historic highs. But that doesn't mean the economy is about to shut down overnight... Sure, we're hearing from the media about layoffs. And layoffs do lead to slowdowns. Despite that, the data tells us that the labor market is still tight. And as long as it stays that way, we'll see continued growth. And the Power Gauge agrees... Even the tech sector earns a "bullish" rating these days. In fact, 29 stocks in the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) earn a "bullish" or better rating from the Power Gauge. And only nine stocks earn a "bearish" or worse rating. That's way out of line with the message most folks get when they watch the news today. The mainstream media makes it appear like the economy is coming apart at the seams. But the data is clear... We're in the early stages of a recovery. And U.S. employers are still looking for employees. That's a recipe for continued growth. It means now is the time to seek out opportunities, not hunker down and hide our heads. Good investing, Marc Chaikin Market View Major Indexes and Notable Sectors # Hld: Bullish Neutral Bearish Dow 30 -1.00% 6 18 6 S&P 500 -1.41% 85 298 116 Nasdaq -1.40% 30 51 19 Small Caps -2.92% 385 978 524 Bonds +3.45% — According to the Chaikin Power Bar, Small Cap stocks and Large Cap stocks have turned somewhat Bearish. Major indexes are mixed. * * * * Sector Tracker Sector movement over the last 5 days Staples -1.97% Utilities -2.76% Information Technology -3.06% Health Care -3.85% Industrials -4.47% Communication -4.58% Energy -5.34% Discretionary -5.54% Real Estate -6.84% Materials -7.59% Financial -8.50% * * * * Industry Focus Retail Services 21 44 29 Over the past 6 months, the Retail subsector (XRT) has underperformed the S&P 500 by -0.19%. Its Power Bar ratio, which measures future potential, is Weak, with more Bearish than Bullish stocks. It is currently ranked #12 of 21 subsectors and has moved up 4 slots over the past week. Indicative Stocks [rating] GO Grocery Outlet Holdi [rating] QRTEA Qurate Retail, Inc. [rating] DASH DoorDash, Inc. * * * * Top Movers Gainers [rating] INTC +2.95% [rating] JPM +2.54% [rating] ABBV +1.60% [rating] CI +1.36% [rating] NEM +1.01% Losers [rating] SBNY -22.87% [rating] FRC -14.85% [rating] SCHW -11.69% [rating] ARE -8.67% [rating] BXP -7.26% * * * * Earnings Report Reporting Today Rating Before Open After Close No earnings reporting today. Earnings Surprises No significant Earnings Surprises in the Russell 3000. * * * * You have received this e-mail as part of your subscription to PowerFeed. If you no longer want to receive e-mails from PowerFeed, [click here](. You’re receiving this e-mail at {EMAIL}. 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