AMN Healthcare Services News Release (12/17/14)

AMN Healthcare Services Inc. has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Onward Healthcare, Locum Leaders, and Medefis from OGH LLC for a total purchase price of $82.5 million. OGH LLC is a health care and technology workforce solutions holding company, and includes Onward Healthcare, a national nurse and allied health care staffing firm; Locum Leaders, a national locum tenens provider; and Medefis, a provider of a vendor management system for health care facilities. The acquisition is expected to close by mid-January.

Richmond BizSense (12/17/14) Michael Thompson

Atlanta-based information technology staffing firm Insight Global has acquired Richmond, VA-based human resource company Monument Consulting for an undisclosed sum. Monument Consulting will keep its name and continue to do business as it has in the past. The deal closed on Nov. 22.

Conference Board News Release (12/18/14)

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.6% in November to 105.5, following a 0.6% increase in October. “The increase in the LEI signals continued moderate growth through the winter season,” says Ken Goldstein, economist at the Conference Board. “The biggest challenge has been, and remains, more income growth. However, with labor market conditions tightening, we are seeing the first signs of wage growth starting to pick up.”

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.4% in November to 110.7, following a 0.2% increase in October. The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.3% in November to 125.4, following no change in October. “Widespread and persistent gains in the LEI point to strong underlying conditions in the U.S. economic expansion,” says Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at the Conference Board. “The current situation, measured by the coincident economic index, has been improving steadily, with employment and industrial production making the largest contributions in November.”

Bloomberg (12/18/14) Nina Glinski

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the week ended Dec. 13 decreased by 6,000 to 289,000, the fewest since early November, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The 51 economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast claims of 295,000. The four-week moving average of new claims dropped by 750 to 298,750.

Wall Street Journal (12/17/14) Jon Hilsenrath

The U.S. Federal Reserve said yesterday it hopes to start normalizing the “stance of monetary policy,” the most direct reference it has made about increasing interest rates in years. Simultaneously, the Fed revealed its skittishness about signaling a historic move away from the easy-money policies that have been in place since the global financial crisis. Rates have been held near zero since December 2008 and since then the Fed has repeatedly said they would stay low amid low inflation and high levels of unemployment. Yesterday the Fed said it would be “patient” before increasing rates, adding that the overall outlook hasn’t much changed from earlier assurances that rates would stay low for a “considerable time.”

Still, 15 of 17 policy makers said they likely will increase short-term interest rates in 2015. The job market has improved, and the Fed expects faster economic growth over the next two years. Growth of between 2.6% and 3.0% is expected for 2015, and the unemployment rate is forecast to decline to 5.2% or 5.3%, putting the jobless rate in the “full employment” zone.