• Skip to main navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Realty Solutions Group

Service Beyond Expectations

SearchClose

What Experts Are Saying about the 2021 Job Market

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their most recent Jobs Report. The report revealed that the economy lost 140,000 jobs in December. That’s a devastating number and dramatically impacts those households that lost a source of income. However, we need to give it some context. Greg Ip, Chief Economics Commentator at the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), explains:

“The economy is probably not slipping back into recession. The drop was induced by new restrictions on activity as the pandemic raged out of control. Leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants, hotels, and amusement parks, tumbled 498,000.”

In the same report, Michael Pearce, Senior U.S. Economist of Capital Economics, agreed:

“The 140,000 drop in non-farm payrolls was entirely due to a massive plunge in leisure and hospitality employment, as bars and restaurants across the country have been forced to close in response to the surge in coronavirus infections. With employment in most other sectors rising strongly, the economy appears to be carrying more momentum into 2021 than we had thought.”

Once the vaccine is distributed throughout the country and the pandemic is successfully under control, the vast majority of those 480,000 jobs will come back.

Here are two additional comments from other experts, also reported by the WSJ that day:

Nick Bunker, Head of Research in North America for Indeed:

“These numbers are distressing, but they are reflective of the time when coronavirus vaccines were not rolled out and federal fiscal policy was still deadlocked. Hopefully, the recent legislation can help build a bridge to a time when vaccines are fully rolled out and the labor market can sustainably heal.”

Michael Feroli, Chief U.S. Economist for JPMorgan Chase:

“The good news in today’s report is that outside the hopefully temporary hit to the food service industry, the rest of the labor market appears to be holding in despite the latest public health challenges.”

What impact will this have on the real estate market in 2021?

Some are concerned that with millions of Americans unemployed, we may see distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) dominate the housing market once again. Rick Sharga, Executive Vice President at RealtyTrac, along with most other experts, doesn’t believe that will be the case:

“There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic despite massive unemployment levels and uncertainty about government policies under the new Administration. But while anything is possible, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see another foreclosure tsunami or housing market crash.”

Bottom Line

For the households that lost a wage earner, these are extremely difficult times. Hopefully, the new stimulus package will lessen some of their pain. The health crisis, however, should vastly improve by mid-year with expectations that the jobs market will also progress significantly.

Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

Posted in: Distressed Properties, For Buyers, For Sellers, Foreclosures, Housing Market Updates

Post navigation

« Owning a Home Is Still More Affordable Than Renting One
Financial Fundamentals for Homebuyers [INFOGRAPHIC] »
Search for:

Recent Posts

  • It’s a Sellers’ Market [INFOGRAPHIC] February 26, 2021
  • Are There Going to Be More Homes to Buy This Year? February 25, 2021
  • How Much Leverage Do Today’s House Sellers Have? February 24, 2021
  • The Reason Mortgage Rates Are Projected to Increase and What It Means for You February 23, 2021
  • Where Have All the Houses Gone? February 22, 2021

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • February 2016
    • 0

    Categories

    • Buying Myths
    • Demographics
    • Distressed Properties
    • Down Payments
    • First Time Home Buyers
    • For Buyers
    • For Sellers
    • Foreclosures
    • FSBOs
    • Holidays
    • Housing Market Updates
    • Infographics
    • Interest Rates
    • Luxury Market
    • Millennials
    • Move-Up Buyers
    • New Construction
    • Pricing
    • Rent vs. Buy
    • Selling Myths
    • Short Sales
    • Time-sensitive
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Search for:

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org