U.S. Economy Not Nearly as Strong as Payrolls Suggest – Ep. 59

February Non-Farm Payrolls Number – 295,000 jobs
Unemployment down 5.5%
Analysts were expecting a miss
Dollar at a new high
Productivity dropped 2.2%
Factory orders fell for the 6th consecutive month
Economic data points only seen during recessions
The Dow closed down – NASDAQ down more
Labor force participation rate is down
Average hourly earnings flat
Number of people not in the labor force at an all-time high
Increase in jobs represents people working more than one jobs
45% of the 295,000 jobs are assumed to have been created by optimistic government statisticians
Disconnect between the weak GDP and the jobs numbers
Consumer credit declined, indicating the consumer is struggling
It’s a good time to take advantage of the strong dollar and invest abroad

Peter Schiff is an economist, financial broker/dealer, author, frequent guest on national news, and host of the Peter Schiff Show Podcast.

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