Elizabeth Renter
elizabethrenter.bsky.social
Elizabeth Renter
@elizabethrenter.bsky.social
Economist, data editor. Currently creating things at NerdWallet. Opinions: Entirely mine.
Reposted by Elizabeth Renter
Latest #NumbersDay data out from the Department of Labor (www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf) show the first signs of the federal worker layoffs. Federal Unemployment Insurance claims ticked up for the week ending February 22, 2.5 times higher than the prior week. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning.
March 6, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Working on an analysis I do every spring, and accessing NPSAS #data. I wonder if this will be the last iteration of this analysis...
February 27, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Elizabeth Renter
This is a good story about micro impacts of tariffs that could have macro effects

The U.S. is trying to build out power capacity to meet rising demand from AI and data center demand

Transformers used in power grids are especially vulnerable to tariff disruptions www.wsj.com/economy/trad...
How Tariffs Could Shock America’s Power System
Transformers used in power grids are especially vulnerable to trade disruptions.
www.wsj.com
February 21, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Actual first sentence of WaPo article: "A 19-year-old acolyte of Elon Musk known online as “Big Balls” has taken on new roles as a senior adviser at the State Department ..."
This is where we are.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
19-year-old Musk surrogate takes on roles at State Department and DHS
The move illustrates that Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service aides are being asked to fulfill multiple roles at once.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 11, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Elizabeth Renter
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is cutting back production of some regional consumer price inflation indexes due to the pinch from chronic underfunding.

This is not from a recent policy change, just from funding not keeping up with costs.
www.bls.gov/cpi/notices/...
February 9, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Elizabeth Renter
My December JOLTS recap. Some evidence that hiring and quits have stabilized at low levels - if so, a little ahead of schedule relative to what I anticipate for 2025.

But the insider/outsider problem may persist even if things improve a little.

Link: substack.com/home/post/p-...
February 4, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Elizabeth Renter
🚨USPS unsuspends inbound packages from China & Hong Kong effective today, says it is working closely with CBP to implement collection mechanisms for new China tariffs
February 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Anyone else concerned about how jobs benchmarking might get spun (and used for nefarious ends) in the current environment?
February 5, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Elizabeth Renter
By invoking emergency powers to hit Canada, Mexico & China with tariffs, Trump just rolled out the most extensive bit of US protectionism in nearly a century and swung a wrecking ball through US competitiveness.

My latest @bloomberg.com's Big Take.

Gift link:

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
How Trump's Tariffs Aim a Wrecking Ball at the Economy of the Americas
After weeks of threats, a North American trade war has erupted. Businesses and investors are bracing for the fallout.
www.bloomberg.com
February 2, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Reposted by Elizabeth Renter
Insurrection Pt 2: Tech bro boogaloo
February 3, 2025 at 1:44 AM
My Bluesky usage comes in fits and starts. I thought it'd be easy to go all-in, as I tweeted every thought in my brain some 10 yrs ago. But alas, that was a different time; I am a different person.
January 28, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Someone please tell me what's going on with holding lapel mics in your hand?
December 13, 2024 at 2:57 PM
December 12, 2024 at 9:31 PM
I'm on my third day of mouth-breathing. But really happy to get this out of the way before holiday travel.
December 12, 2024 at 7:50 PM
Got a "pinky promise" via email from my property manager that my rent won't be going up this summer when my lease is due for renewal. So that feels good. That woman's pinky promise is as good as gold. We take things pretty casually here.
December 3, 2024 at 2:53 PM
I took yesterday afternoon off, after powering thru a bunch of work in the morning. Highly recommend this approach to re-entry after a long, holiday weekend.
December 3, 2024 at 12:34 PM
I’ve never been a in-the-crowds Black Friday shopper. My patience baseline isn’t built for that. But I did shop from the couch this morning, and am very interested in what holiday spending will look like this year.
November 29, 2024 at 12:52 PM
Who’s eating pie for breakfast??
November 29, 2024 at 12:50 PM
My Google search is “FRED and (the dataset)” the way others do “Reddit and (the question).” Gimme FRED or leave me alone.
nothing will make you appreciate FRED more than trying to use non-US public stats databases
November 28, 2024 at 12:00 PM
I chatted with Alicia Wallace @CNN this morning about the latest inflation data: www.cnn.com/2024/11/27/e...
Soft landing? Not so fast: Inflation heated back up in October | CNN Business
The Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge just moved in the wrong direction. It comes as President-elect Donald Trump promises massive tariffs that could push the cost of living even higher.
www.cnn.com
November 27, 2024 at 7:39 PM
I’m torn between easing into the long weekend or working ahead to be better prepped for the chaos of next week.
November 27, 2024 at 3:54 PM
Having one of those work days where it feels like I’m touching a lot of things but accomplishing very little. Tis the season!
November 26, 2024 at 7:09 PM
Hi. First post = so much pressure! It’s like taking out the big sharpie to write something on your binder before the first day at a new school. 😬 I’m here for #economics #news #datajournalism and #huskerfootball. At least until they embarrass me again.
November 25, 2024 at 1:33 PM