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Before covering employment numbers, a few items of interest:
On the positive side, TSA announced yesterday that we can keep our shoes on going through airport security, even if we don't have PreCheck.
https://travelnoire.com/tsa-shoe-removal-requirement-end
Taking off shoes has probably been the most annoying of post-9/11 security enhancements (“extra screening” being the other one), and I imagine this will be greatly appreciated by travelers (and airlines).
On the not-so-pleasant front, I just figured out (see video) that Starbucks curtailed its bonus stars program for use of personal cups. I said it looked like it started on July 1st, but media reports from May (when I wasn't able to focus on anything other than work) indicate it started around June 14th.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/starbucks-is-changing-most-generous-perks-eliminating-star-bonus-customers-bring-reusable-cup/16588705/
I'm not surprised with this development, as it tracks with the overall strategy of Starbucks’ relatively-new CEO, and to be honest, it was a very handsome (and costly for the company) bonus.
Now, let's discuss the latest national employment data (for June, released last Thursday). The household survey showed an increase of 141,000 (seasonally adjusted) for the month, and the employer survey indicated an increase of 147,000 (also seasonally adjusted). These results were ahead of forecasts.
Unfortunately, the overall number was almost entirely the result of job gains in Healthcare and State & Local Government, with some growth as well in Hospitality and Construction (as would be expected for the summer). Lagging employment activity in other sectors (especially cuts in manufacturing and wholesale trade) are consistent with the June report from ADP, which reported net private sector job losses of 33,000 for the month.
For a good look at sector employment performance, check out the link below for graphs provided by BLS.
https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/employment-by-industry-monthly-changes.htm
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