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Goldman's "Advance" Look On Payroll: Look Out Below

Tyler Durden's picture




Goldman's NFP forecasts have an eerie ability to be +/- 3 people of the actual payroll number. Which is why those expecting an upside surprise to tomorrow's payroll number may be unpleasantly surprised. Just released by Jan Hatzius of GS:

Downgrading Our Sept Payroll Forecast

BOTTOM LINE: We are changing our forecast for the September change in nonfarm payrolls to -
250,000 from -200,000. We continue to think that the unemployment rate will be reported at 9.8%.

KEY POINTS:

1. The latest data points on the US job market have been disappointing on balance, including the Monster index of on-line hiring, the ISM employment index, consumers’ assessments of job availability, and the total number of individuals receiving continuing claims for unemployment insurance, including those for extended benefits. Accordingly, we now expect nonfarm payrolls to be reported at -250,000 in tomorrow’s labor market report for September versus a previous forecast of - 200,000.

2. Although many of the same indicators would suggest a larger increase in the unemployment rate than the 0.1-point we have been expecting, the new information is not quite enough to warrant a change, especially since the 9.7% reported for August rounded up to that level. However, risks lie to the side of a higher figure.


h/t H.I.




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Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:03 | Link to Comment BabaJ
BabaJ's picture

Maybe they know the true number is 230k and they merely want it to "beat expectations"

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 15:07 | Link to Comment Assetman
Assetman's picture

Could be... but you would need a concerted effort to move the consensus higher than 200k at the last minute.

It is sort of interesting to see the subtle change in tone at Goldman transform over the past 48 hours.  Yesterday, they turned cautious on real estate.  Now... unemployment.

It's either another "pump & dump"... or maybe this time they have already positioned themselves for the flight to quality trade.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 16:35 | Link to Comment BabaJ
BabaJ's picture

It does feel more like a sea change is being ridden/generated.

There was after all no capitulation at the bottom - remains to be seen how far this ride will take us.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:04 | Link to Comment economessed
economessed's picture

Vampire squid leak count = 1, ethical Washington bureaucrats = 0

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:07 | Link to Comment Whizbang
Whizbang's picture

Whatever, the BLS statistics have all these statistics as 40-50% too low. It's all crap anyways.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:10 | Link to Comment Divided States ...
Divided States of America's picture

Sensing a pump job coming soon...just a hunch...but looks like we may close with a drop of less than 1%.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:12 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:12 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:30 | Link to Comment economicmorphine
economicmorphine's picture

I don't like GS any more than anyone here, but that is the whole idea and it sure beats being bearish for six months and turning bullish on Oct 1, eh?

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:31 | Link to Comment Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

It's not the truth that's important. It never was and it never will be. It's what the people think the truth is that counts and that can be easily manipulated.

Perception IS reality and the corporate media have that dialed in.

But that doesn't mean ZH (or any other truth telling blog) should ever stop. There is reason for hope.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:33 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 15:13 | Link to Comment Oso
Oso's picture

how very reflexive of you, CD...

 

OR SHOULD I SAY GEORGE SOROS - ah ha!!!

 

:p

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:21 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:33 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 17:38 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 23:30 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:36 | Link to Comment etrader
etrader's picture

Notice there's no Obama "heads up" this time how the stimulus is helping the jobs market!

Maybe he's wise to be in Denmark :-)

 

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:49 | Link to Comment curbyourrisk
curbyourrisk's picture

If THEY say it, so it will be!

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:50 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 15:45 | Link to Comment deadhead
deadhead's picture

Hey there LB...

85500's comment is kind of what I was referring to the other nite....I know that you got my memo.

I honestly have no way of knowing if you are losing clients but if you are, you certainly have even bigger problems than I would have imagined.  Either way, the American people (not only Obama's base, but those "conservatives" and Republicans alike) are really quite fed up with the wall street/banking fiasco and as I said before, Goldman Sachs is the personification of this mess in their minds.

tick tock, tick tock 

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 21:11 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 14:59 | Link to Comment Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh's picture

There was some economic number overseas that disappointed overnight, but the EUR/USD absolutely tanked 15 mins ahead of it.  I was watching it and wondered what was up - wasn't confirmed by any other FX pair.  Then the headline hit (seriously can't remember what the number was), and the other currencies promptly jerked in reaction.  But EUR/USD held, it had already been factored in.

 

Thought it a nice coincidence to the PMI in the states.  Flashing has now been relocated.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 15:14 | Link to Comment LoneStarHog
LoneStarHog's picture

EVERYTHING is bullshit, especially involving Goldman Sucks!

The Truth Is Out There is also bullshit, as nothing out there is the truth.

There are damn few places where I get CREDIBLE information/news.  Those few being, ZeroHedge, MarketTicker, MineSet, LeMetropole Cafe (GATA), Campaign for Liberty (Dr. Paul).

EVERYTHING else is goddamn bullshit.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 15:25 | Link to Comment akreitman
akreitman's picture

   I hate to support GS, but there's pretty much no way they couldn't downgrade their forcast for tomorrow's employment data.  Every thing this week has been worse then forcast, Chicago PMI, ADP, new claims.  I also hate them for being rich, but at least I admit its simple envy.  I'd like to see a real study of the accuracy of their forcasts relative to those few investment houses left.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 16:45 | Link to Comment Ned Zeppelin
Ned Zeppelin's picture

$200/barrel oil by December 2008 was one memorable GS forecast. And to think I lost a bet because I predicted a much more modest $100.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 22:44 | Link to Comment akreitman
akreitman's picture

  That's an anecdote, not a study!

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 15:47 | Link to Comment deadhead
deadhead's picture

"Goldman's NFP forecasts have an eerie ability to be +/- 3 people..."

This one is a gem.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 15:48 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 16:22 | Link to Comment Groty
Groty's picture

Second month in a row where the squid updates its NFP estimates during the middle of the day on Thursday before NFP is announced.  It's becoming a trend of theirs.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 17:12 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 17:21 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Fri, 10/02/2009 - 01:13 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 17:57 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 18:04 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 22:54 | Link to Comment Dadoomsayer
Dadoomsayer's picture

I don't think they have inside information, I just think they manipulate the numbers better than others.

 

There are a lot of stupid people out there, and goldman guys just skate around them.

 

If you don't believe me just watch CNBC for a few hours.

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 18:45 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 23:22 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 23:52 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Fri, 10/02/2009 - 08:32 | Link to Comment Leo Kolivakis
Leo Kolivakis's picture

The unemployment rate is at 9.8%, the worst since June of 1983. Jobs lost total 263,000.

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