Initial Jobless Claims in 2015
Initial Jobless Claims opened 2015 at 294,000 and closed at 276,000, a -6.12% move for the year. The high of 317,000 was reached on February 28, and the low of 260,000 on December 19.
Monthly Breakdown
| Month | Open | Close | High | Low | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 294,000 | 281,000 | 304,000 | 261,000 | -4.42% |
| Feb | 298,000 | 317,000 | 317,000 | 285,000 | +6.38% |
| Mar | 293,000 | 269,000 | 293,000 | 269,000 | -8.19% |
| Apr | 282,000 | 269,000 | 298,000 | 269,000 | -4.61% |
| May | 267,000 | 275,000 | 281,000 | 267,000 | +3.00% |
| Jun | 278,000 | 275,000 | 278,000 | 269,000 | -1.08% |
| Jul | 292,000 | 269,000 | 292,000 | 265,000 | -7.88% |
| Aug | 270,000 | 279,000 | 279,000 | 270,000 | +3.33% |
| Sep | 273,000 | 272,000 | 273,000 | 264,000 | -0.37% |
| Oct | 267,000 | 275,000 | 275,000 | 264,000 | +3.00% |
| Nov | 276,000 | 265,000 | 276,000 | 261,000 | -3.99% |
| Dec | 280,000 | 276,000 | 280,000 | 260,000 | -1.43% |
Events During 2015
The PBoC devalued the yuan by 1.9% in a single day on August 11, 2015, the first meaningful devaluation since 1994. Global risk assets convulsed.
Brent crude fell from $115 in June 2014 to $27 in January 2016, a 77% collapse. Shale oversupply and OPEC's refusal to cut production broke the commodity supercycle that had dominated markets since 2003.
The Swiss National Bank abandoned its 1.20 EUR/CHF floor on January 15, 2015. The franc immediately surged 30%, blowing up retail FX brokers and exposing the fragility of exchange rate commitments.
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