World Perspectives

Breaking Down the Data Behind Today’s Big Jobs Report

On Monday, WPI discussed the state of the economy (What is a Recession and Why Does it Matter if We’re In One?). As we wrote, “The whole situation – like COVID and the policy and structural changes that came with it – is unprecedented and still playing out.”  Today’s jobs report illustrates that. As covered in WPI’s report Monday, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) employment index was “still in the contraction phase, but only barely, at 49.9 percent, but with most manufacturers reporting they are still hiring.” Specifically, that index of 49.9 percent indicated that employment was just 1/10th of one percent below recovering to pre-COVID levels. Officially, as of today&rsquo...

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From WPI Consulting

Forecasting developments in production agriculture

On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.

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