The Labor Market Turns Sour

This morning’s ADP numbers weren’t didn’t just miss expectations for a gain of 98,000 jobs – it was the first negative read since March 2023:

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ADP’s labor data trend shows a slowdown

Several factors are likely at play here. Rising uncertainty over Trump’s tariff and trade policies – even though he’s largely walked those back.

A bigger factor? The rise of AI.

Many big tech companies have been making layoffs this year, citing increased productivity as a reason. For instance, Microsoft just announced another 9,000 in layoffs.

Of course, when an individual company announces layoffs, it’s usually bullish for shares. That company is doing the same – or more – with a smaller headcount. That’s lower costs and higher productivity.

But in a world where every company can lay off a sizable percentage of their staff, we have more unemployed consumers, who tend to cut back on spending.

We haven’t yet seen the full paradox of AI productivity play out – but the trend is there – and growing.

~ Addison

Why Are 21 Billionaires Moving Their Money ASAP?

Under the surface of the U.S. financial system…

One of the biggest stock market events in 25 years is rapidly unfolding…

The economist who predicted the 2008 Financial Crisis says it will be: “The Biggest Crash of Our Lifetime.”

Starting August 27th — your favorite tech stocks like Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and hundreds more could come crashing down…

Cutting the entire tech market by HALF – virtually overnight.

This is why the world’s financial elite are panic-selling stocks at the fastest rate in a decade.

To help you prepare…

Our guest expert is giving you his #1 stock to profit – 100% FREE.

P.S.: Tomorrow, at 11 a.m. on Grey Swan Live!, Andrew and I will take stock of the first half of the year. We’ll do a comprehensive review of the model portfolio and review the prominent trends that have impacted stock prices and the economy during the dizzying first months of the second Trump administration. Stay tuned… it promises to be a doozy. Paid readers will definitely want to attend.

As always, your reader feedback is welcome: feedback@greyswanfraternity.com (We read all emails. Thanks in advance for your contribution.)

This morning’s ADP numbers weren’t didn’t just miss expectations for a gain of 98,000 jobs – it was the first negative read since March 2023:

Turn Your Images On

ADP’s labor data trend shows a slowdown

Several factors are likely at play here. Rising uncertainty over Trump’s tariff and trade policies – even though he’s largely walked those back.

A bigger factor? The rise of AI.

Many big tech companies have been making layoffs this year, citing increased productivity as a reason. For instance, Microsoft just announced another 9,000 in layoffs.

But in a world where every company can lay off a sizable percentage of their staff, we have more unemployed consumers, who tend to cut back on spending.

We haven’t yet seen the full paradox of AI productivity play out – but the trend is there – and growing.

~ Addison

Why Are 21 Billionaires Moving Their Money ASAP?

Under the surface of the U.S. financial system…

One of the biggest stock market events in 25 years is rapidly unfolding…

The economist who predicted the 2008 Financial Crisis says it will be: “The Biggest Crash of Our Lifetime.”

Starting August 27th — your favorite tech stocks like Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and hundreds more could come crashing down…

Cutting the entire tech market by HALF – virtually overnight.

This is why the world’s financial elite are panic-selling stocks at the fastest rate in a decade.

To help you prepare…

Our guest expert is giving you his #1 stock to profit – 100% FREE.

As always, your reader feedback is welcome: feedback@greyswanfraternity.com (We read all emails. Thanks in advance for your contribution.)

The global bond market is screaming.

This week, 30-year yields hit multi-decade highs across the U.S., UK, Germany, and Japan.

America’s 30-year briefly touched 5.0% — levels last seen in 2007. Japan’s long bond is at its highest since it was first issued in 1999. Europe’s long paper is flirting with crisis-era yields.

Why? Heavy borrowing, fiscal deficits.

In just two months, U.S. federal debt has surged by $1 trillion. Since mid-August alone, $200 billion has been tacked on.

Miran is outlining a radical plan to flip the U.S. dollar’s reserve status from a burden into a bargaining chip. To turn America’s towering debt from an embarrassment into leverage. And to reorient the entire global economic structure in Washington’s favor—while they still can.

Now, if you read through Miran’s 40-page paper, you’ll quickly realize he left a lot of other ingredients out (some of which actually make the plan far more realistic). It’s a speech, not a doctoral thesis, after all.

A spike in money supply typically occurs during a crisis. Not when the economic vibe is simply “uneasy” and bullish.

Today’s graph strips away delusion. A massive quantity of fiat money is propping up the stock market and global economy.

That’s a trend that cannot last.

In the early days of the Roman Empire foreign conquests brought glory, booty, and slaves. People were happy to be a part of it.

But after 100 AD the conquests largely ended. And as time went on managing the huge empire — with its far-flung garrisons and expensive bureaucracy — became less and less profitable. Taxpayers were squeezed harder and harder to pay for it.

Roman-era feds had their tricks too. The basic coin of Rome — the denarius — was inflated away. It came to be worth so little that even tax collectors wouldn’t take it. In 212, Caracalla expanded the tax base by giving Roman citizenship to all free men in the empire. But the squeeze continued.

Gradually, the small farmers — who had been the backbone and muscle of the empire — were forced to abandon their land…and even sell their wives and daughters into slavery in order to keep them alive. Gradually, too, Roman society became decadent, corrupt…and brutal, with more and more resources devoted to the war industry.