Posts

Sevens Report: U.S. Labor Market Stable, But Cracks Emerging

/in , /by

Thresholds in claims and unemployment could trigger sharp equity declines

What does a soft jobs market mean for markets?

Sevens Report said U.S. labor conditions remain broadly stable despite recent weak data, citing jobless claims below 250,000, continued positive payrolls, and JOLTS near 7 million.

The firm warned, however, that momentum is fading: hiring is slowing even as layoffs remain limited. Key thresholds include jobless claims above 260,000, a four-week average above 300,000, unemployment over 4.5%, and JOLTS falling under 6.5 million. Each would signal real deterioration.

On market impact, Sevens cautioned that a sharp labor downturn could drive a 15%–30% equity drop, with the S&P 500 potentially sliding 500–700 points initially. Defensive sectors such as staples, utilities, and healthcare would likely outperform, alongside lower-volatility ETFs and mega-cap tech if the AI trade holds.

“Bottom line, the labor market is not bad; however, it is losing momentum and this is something we need to watch carefully,” the report said.

Also, click here to view the full article published in Investing.com on September 8th, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

What Does A Bad Labor Market Look Like and What Does It Mean for Markets?

/in , /by

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What Does A Bad Labor Market Look Like and What Does It Mean for Markets?
  • Weekly Market Preview: Do Stagflation Fears Rise Further?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet: CPI on Wednesday the Key Report This Week

Futures are slightly higher as markets bounce from Friday’s post-jobs report declines, as investors look ahead to key inflation data this week.

Economically, data was mixed as Chinese and German exports (4.4% vs. (E) 5.5% and –0.6% vs. (E) 0.1% respectively) missed estimates, but German Industrial Production beat expectations (1.3% vs. (E ) 1.0%).

Geopolitically, Japanese stocks rallied hard (more than 1%) as PM Ishiba resigned (although it wasn’t a surprise).

This will be another important week because the PPI and CPI reports (Tuesday and Wednesday respectively) will either increase stagflation concerns (negative for stocks/bonds) or further pushback on them (positive for stocks and bonds). But, today should be mostly quiet as there are no notable economic reports nor any Fed speakers.

Tom Essaye Interviewed on Yahoo Finance as the Fed Faces Twin Pressures

/in , /by

Tom Essaye: Fed Faces Twin Pressures of Rising Inflation and Weakening Jobs

Fed is in the ‘worst possible’ position, analyst says

Central bank policy outlook grows more complicated heading into fall

The Federal Reserve is under mounting pressure as inflation shows signs of picking up while the labor market begins to soften, according to Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research.

Speaking on Opening Bid, Essaye explained that this combination leaves the Fed in a difficult policy position heading into the fall. The central bank must balance the risk of tightening too little against the danger of tightening too much at a time when economic growth is already showing cracks.

“The Fed is caught between two mandates,” Essaye noted, adding that rising producer and consumer price data alongside weakening job gains increases the likelihood of a policy dilemma in the coming months.

Also, click here to view the full video on Yahoo Finance published on August 30th, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Labor Market Analysis By Tom Essaye Quoted in Forbes

/in , /by

Labor Market Analysis – Tom Essaye Quoted in Forbes: Strengthen your market knowledge with a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Weaker-Than-Expected August Job Growth Reported—Labor Market Officially At Pre-Pandemic Levels

In a Wednesday note to clients, which included the labor market analysis, Sevens Report analyst Tom Essaye cautioned against bullish investors celebrating a labor market slowdown as an outright win for stocks, writing the economy is now entering the “difficult” stage of navigating a higher-interest rate environment.

“If the labor market is seeing easing, then now is the time the Fed will have to perfectly execute the ‘soft landing,’ because getting the economy to slow is the ‘easy’ part of monetary policy.” wrote Tom Essaye, founder of the Sevens Report.

Click here to read more of Tom’s labor market analysis.

Forbes Labor Market

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more… To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Tom Essaye Quoted in Market Watch on September 1st, 2022

/in , /by

What does Friday’s jobs report mean for the market? ‘Too hot’ and stocks could tumble, says market pro.

The labor market needs to show signs that it’s on the path to returning to a state of relative balance, where job openings are roughly the same as the number of people looking for jobs — and if it does not show that, then concerns about a more hawkish-for-longer Fed will rise, and that’s not good for stocks, wrote Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader and the founder of the Sevens Report newsletter. Click here to read the full article.

 

Market Multiple Levels: S&P 500 Chart

/in , /by

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Market Multiple Levels: S&P 500 Chart
  • NFIB Small Business Optimism Index: Labor Market Issues Remain a Headwind

Futures are slightly lower while global shares extended recent gains overnight ahead of key inflation data and more progress on U.S. infrastructure and spending plans.

After passing the bipartisan $1.2T infrastructure bill yesterday, the Senate narrowly passed a $3.5T spending plan aimed at fighting climate change and poverty overnight however neither of the bills is likely to be taken up in the House until after the summer recess in September.

Economically, German CPI met estimates of 0.9% in July which did not have a material impact on markets.

Today, the focus will be on economic data early with the July CPI report due out ahead of the bell (E: 0.5% m/m, 5.5%y/y).

Then after the open, there are a couple of Fed speakers to watch: Bostic (10:30 a.m. ET) and George (12:00 p.m. ET). The narrative has been shifting slightly more hawkish recently so look for a continuation of that trend in the speeches which may cause a further rise in Treasury yields today.

Finally, in the early afternoon, there is a 10-Yr Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET. If the outcome is weak (tails) expect a continued move higher in longer maturity yields that will have some degree of hawkish impact across asset classes while a strong auction would likely see yields pull back from their recent gains which would likely offer a boost to growth/tech stocks.