It's Thursday ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And we have the latest unemployment numbers. Initial claims fell sharply, but continuing claims continue to rise. I find the latter number more significant than the latter. > Applications for US unemployment benefits fell by the most since November, adding to evidence of stabilization in the labor market. > > Initial claims decreased by 23,000 to 206,000 in the week ended Feb. 14, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. That was lower than all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey. > > In the past year, new applications have fallen below the 210,000 mark only a handful of times. That level of weekly filings is a sign that layoffs widely remain low. The data also suggest that people who were temporarily unable to work due to a severe winter storm that spanned the country in late January have returned to their jobs. > > However, continuing claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, rose to 1.87 million in the previous week, the highest since early January. > > ……… > > Separate data out Thursday showed the US trade deficit widened in December, capping a year marked by erratic tariff policy.  I think that we are already in a recession, and that it will get much worse, but what the hell do I know.