The Fed acquired these securities during quantitative easing, which ended in 2014. When it does start selling them, there will be more supply. That should raise the yield on the 10-year Treasury note. That drives up long-term interest rates, such as fixed-rate mortgages and corporate bonds.
But Treasury yields also depend on demand for the dollar. If demand is high, yields will drop. As the global economy improves, investors have been demanding less of this ultra-safe investment. As a result, long-term and fixed interest rates will rise in 2017 and beyond.
The last time the Fed raised rates was in 2005. It helped cause the subprime mortgage crisis. A majority of Americans believe the real estate market will crash in the next two years. There are nine differences between the 2017 housing market and the 2007 market that makes this unlikely.
Oil and Gas Prices
The U.S. Energy Information Administration provides an outlook from 2017-2050. It predicts crude oil prices will average $52/barrel in 2017. That’s for Brent global. West Texas Crude will average around $2/barrel less. The EIA warned that there is still some volatility in the price. It reported that commodities traders believe prices could range between $40/b and $65/b for January 2018 delivery. Prices will rise to $54/b in 2018.
A strong dollar depresses oil prices. That’s because oil contracts are priced in dollars. Oil companies are laying off workers, and some may default on their debt. High yield bond funds haven’t done well as a result.
The oil market is still responding to the impact of U.S. shale oil production. That reduced oil prices 25 percent in 2014 and 2015. The good news for the economy is that it also lowered the cost of transportation, food, and raw materials for business. That raised profit margins. It also gave consumers more disposable income to spend. The slight slowdown is because both businesses and families are saving instead of spending.
The EIA’s energy outlook through 2050 predicts rising oil prices. By 2025, the average Brent oil price will rise to $86/b (in 2016 dollars, which removes the effect of inflation). After that, world demand will drive oil prices to the equivalent of $117/b in 2050. By then, the cheap sources of oil will have been exhausted, making crude oil production more expensive.
Jobs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes an occupational outlook each decade. It goes into great detail about each industry and occupation. Overall, the BLS expects total employment to increase by 20.5 million jobs from 2010-2020. While 88 percent of all occupations will experience growth, the fastest growth will occur in healthcare, personal care and social assistance, and construction. Furthermore, jobs requiring a master’s degree will grow the fastest while those that only need a high school diploma will grow the slowest.
The BLS assumes that the economy will fully recover from the recession by 2020 and that the labor force will return to full employment or an unemployment rate between 4-5 percent. The biggest growth (5.7 million jobs) will occur in healthcare and other forms of social assistance as the American population ages.
The next largest increase (2.1 million jobs) will occur in professional and technical occupations. Most of this is in computer systems design, especially mobile technologies, and management, scientific, and technical consulting. Businesses will need advice on planning and logistics, implementing new technologies, and complying with workplace safety, environmental, and employment regulations.
Other substantial increases will occur in education (1.8 million jobs), retail (1.7 million jobs) and hotel/restaurants (1 million jobs). Another area is miscellaneous services (1.6 million jobs). That includes human resources, seasonal and temporary workers, and waste collection.
As housing recovers, construction will add 1.8 million jobs while other areas of manufacturing will lose jobs due to technology and outsourcing.
How It Affects You
2017 will be a prosperous year as we continue to say goodbye to the effects of the financial crisis. Be on the lookout for irrational exuberance in the stock market. That usually signals the peak of the business cycle. That means another recession is probably two to three years out. It all depends on whether President Trump’s tax cutswill create the jobs he promised.
Therefore, the best thing to is to stay relentlessly focused on your financial well-being. Continue to improve your skills and chart a clear course for your career. If you’ve invested in the stock market, be calm during any pull-back. Plummeting commodity prices, including gold, oil, and coffee, will return to the mean. All in all, a good time to reduce debt, build up your savings, and increase your wealth.