Top ranked for payrolls: Ted Wieseman, Economist at Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC in New York
Wieseman described the labor market as "if not at full employment, obviously getting a lot closer.''
Weiseman said "the key question for job growth — and the overall economy next year — is, beyond a short-term shot in the arm from fiscal stimulus, does is do something to change the underlying dismal dynamics'' that have generated slow growth in recent years.
If fiscal policy can help boost trend GDP growth and the participation rate holds steady, he expects payroll gains to decelerate to 120,000 per month in 2017. That would be slower than the 180,000 average in 2016 through November, but faster than the 70,000 or 80,000 jobs per month that he forecasts in the longer run as demographic forces exert themselves.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.