A Whopper Jobs Report

August 5, 2022

Leyendecker Executive Search

August 5, 2022

The most important measure of how well I played is
how much better I’d made my teammates play.
– Bill Russell

THOUGHTS FROM DOUG

Check this graph out on CO2 emissions per capita in the United States. Who would have thought we’re back to 1920s level?

Does the fall in oil prices tell us that recession is already here?

Given that it was Western-influenced “green” policy that put Sri Lanka on the path to economic and political collapse, how do we think other emerging economies are going to take Western influence?

Is the West paying enough attention to the growing anti-West sentiment around the world? The West makes up only one billion of our eight billion global residents. The question we may need to be asking ourselves is why more people around the world are tiring of the West.

Many people are probably trying to project how long it will take the Europeans to find alternative fuel sources to Russia’s. Maybe we should also be wondering how long it will take Russia to find alternative buyers of their fuel. If Russia finds its buyers before Europe finds its new suppliers, well then Europe will be in a bind.

Numerous recent news stories suggest gasoline prices have fallen for 50 days in a row. Well, the Fed’s first 75 basis point rate hike was also 50 days ago. Hmmm…

The scooter fad that caught fire a few years ago has collapsed. The business model never seemed to make sense, but investors poured billions into the space. Fads often begin in times when money seems to be falling out of the sky and then crash and burn when the easy money goes away.

What other fads are set to burn out now that we’re changing economic direction?

The UN Secretary-General just said “humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.” What is it with the world today? Why are dystopian narratives so prevalent these days? Why are dystopian narratives so appealing to so many?

When talking about inflation, few people seem to consider the influence of regulation. Ever more regulation drives up the cost of doing business. Most recently, regulatory influences that created higher operating costs could be balanced out by lower costs of capital, but now…

Given the controversy around Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan, is China about to unleash the Kraken?

THE ECONOMIC VIEW

Companies are boosting capex
Is this good news for the future?

US trade deficit narrows
More exports, fewer imports.

Consumers may be out of gas
The post-pandemic recovery is over.
As credit card debt surges
Here’s the Fed report
Will lower mortgage rates help?

High power costs hurting US factories
The US needs cheap energy.
Will higher company costs squeeze profits?

THE INFLATION BOGEYMAN

Car prices are skyrocketing
Here’s a good chart
How will this affect demand?
Car companies don’t think it will

Global food inflation map
Global recession anyone?

Rents are starting to plateau
But are still at record highs

Supply chain future could be “scary”
Suggests US Commerce Secretary.

THE LABOR VIEW