by Calculated Risk on 9/01/2011 08:20:00 PM

Let's start with jobs ...
• From the NY Times: White House Expects Persistently High Unemployment

The White House budget office forecast on Thursday that unemployment would remain at 9 percent through the 2012 presidential election year ... Unemployment will not return to the 5 percent range until 2017, the budget office said, reflecting the intensity of the hangover from the most severe recession since the Great Depression.

• From CNBC: Friday's Jobs Report: Markets Bracing for More Bad News

Recent employment indicators suggest "zero growth in private payrolls," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank in Chicago. ... Economists at Goldman Sachs cut their forecast for August payrolls growth to 25,000 from 50,000, citing weakness in online job postings in recent months.

• From Catherine Rampell at the NY Times: Jobs Report Preview

• My earlier post: Employment Situation Preview: Another Weak Report

Because of the reference period following so soon after an economic shock, and also because of the Verizon labor dispute, I'll take the "under" on the number of jobs added (less than 67,000). I'll also take the over on the unemployment rate (I expect higher than 9.1%).

A few other stories:
• From the NY Times: European Banks Are Hard-Selling Greek Bailout Plan

[T]his first major bond restructuring in Europe’s long-festering debt crisis is shaping up as a much better deal for the banks than for the Greeks it is supposed to be helping.

Holders of the Greek bonds would get much better value than they could in the open market, while Greece would still owe a lot of money.

This seemed like a good deal for the banks when it was announced.

• HUD reported that the FHA's inventory of REO declined sharply in July to 48,507 from 53,164 at the end of June (revised down). I graph REO inventory quarterly, and this suggests another sharp decline in REO inventory in Q3. This decline is a combination of more sales and fewer acquisitions due to the slowdown in the foreclosure process. There are many more foreclosures coming - see my earlier post on Mortgage Delinquencies and REOs.

• Note: Tom Lawler corrected the percent of owner-occupied homes owned free and clear by state. He also supplied a list of all 50 states (see last table here).

Earlier today:
• Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims decline to 409,000
• ISM Manufacturing index declines slightly to 50.6.
• Construction Spending declined in July
• U.S. Light Vehicle Sales at 12.12 million SAAR in August