GOOD WEEK FOR DEMS: Democrats can breathe a sigh of relief following the May jobs report, which showed a gain of 217,000 jobs and no change to the 6.3% unemployment rate. The report was hardly a blockbuster, coming in well below April month’s 288,000. But it helps confirm that the disastrous first quarter contraction of 1 percent in gross domestic product was likely an anomaly caused by the brutal winter and inventory reductions. Read more
WHAT HOUSING MISSED IN THE JOBS REPORT: The one constituency housing needs most is the one struggling the hardest in the jobs market. Employment among those aged 25-34 fell in May to 75.3%; this compares to pre-recession rates of 78-80% employment. Read more
WHERE THE JOBS ARE – THE NUCLEAR OPTION: In the latest installment of CNBC’s “Where the Jobs Are,” we travel to Jenkinsville, South Carolina, where the utility SCE&G is building two new nuclear reactors. The first is scheduled to go online in 2017, the second a year later. Ahead of their launch dates, SCE&G is seeking to hire 800 workers that will operate the two facilities. Read more
STRONG DOW; S&P GAINS END OF WEEK AT RECORDS: Read more
