BOE Tells Banks to Speed Up Digital Efforts as Cash Use Declines

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® rose in July to 100.3 (1985=100), from a downwardly revised 97.8 in June. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers' ...

The number of job openings was unchanged at 8.2 million on the last business day of June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, both the number of hires and total separations were little changed at 5.3 million and 5.1 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.3 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.5 million) changed little. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class. Job Openings On the last business day of June, the number of job openings was unchanged at 8.2 million and was down by 941,000 over the year. The job openings rate held at 4.9 percent in June. Job openings increased in accommodation and food services (+120,000) and in state and local government, excluding education (+94,000). The number of job openings decreased in durable goods manufacturing (-88,000) and in federal government (-62,000). (See table 1.) Hires The number of hires was little changed at 5.3 million in June but was down by 554,000 over the year. The hires rate, at 3.4 percent, changed little in June. (See table 2.) Separations Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations include separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm. The number of total separations in June changed little at 5.1 million. This measure was down by 544,000 over the year. The total separations rate was post: US Job Openings Fell to 8.184M, Quits at 3.282M in June - Bloomberg *US job openings declined in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. *There are 1.2 available jobs for each unemployed job seeker *The job openings rate remained unchanged at 4.9% in June from 4.9%…

post: BOJ BOARD MEMBERS TO DISCUSS RAISING RATES TO 0.25%: NHKBank of Japan to consider additional interest rate hike, including raising interest rates to around 0.25% The Bank of Japan will hold its second day of monetary policy meetings on the 31st. As policy committee members are increasingly of the opinion that prices are rising in line with expectations, they will consider and make a final decision on further interest rate hikes. The Bank of Japan will hold its second meeting on the 31st, where the nine policy committee members will discuss the policy direction for the near future. Governor Ueda has indicated that if the underlying inflation rate rises steadily toward the target of 2%, an additional interest rate hike will be implemented, but many committee members are believed to be of the view that prices are rising in line with the outlook. Some committee members are of the opinion that the risk of a weak yen pushing up prices should be closely watched, and according to sources, the Bank of Japan plans to consider an additional interest rate hike at the meeting on the 31st.