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26 MOVERS & SHAKERS KEEP UP WITH WHO'S DOING WHAT AND WHO WENT WHERE Got something to share with us? Send it to Editor@DSNews.com. Labor Market Index Shows Signs of Recovery After slowing for the fourth straight month in August, the Federal Reserve's gauge of condi- tions in the labor market made a slight recovery in September. e Fed's labor market condi- tions index, which the central bank said it will now release on a monthly basis, added 2.5 points in September after increasing only 2 points in August—its lowest pace of growth in 13 months. As a broad measure of the market, the Fed's index includes a number of indicators that go be- yond just the national unemploy- ment rate, including average hourly earnings, hiring rates, and labor force participation, among others. It has been cited by Fed research- ers as a more comprehensive tool for the central bank's policymak- ers to use when considering their next move, such as ending bond purchases—a likely development next month—or raising interest rates, which they're expected to do by the middle of 2015. After slowing down in January, the index accelerated through much of the year's first half, post- ing an improvement of 4.9 points in March before hitting peak growth of 7.1 points in April as the economy started a streak of strong monthly payroll gains. e latest increase comes as the labor market reportedly added 248,000 new jobs, helping to bring the unemployment rate down to 5.9 percent. At the same time, however, the labor force participation rate continued to drop as more Ameri- cans gave up on looking for work. According to the government's, numbers, the national U-6 unem- ployment rate—which includes people marginally attached to the work force and those working part-time for economic reasons—is 11.8 percent. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 FANNIE MAE: CONSUMERS GROWING MORE OPTIMISTIC TOWARD HOUSING Consumer attitudes toward housing and the economy brightened modestly in September, starting the fall sea- son off on a positive note after a tumultuous summer. According to results from Fannie Mae's September 2014 National Housing Survey, Americans' optimism about the housing market recovered last month follow- ing declines in both July and August, with the share of respondents saying now is a good time to buy a home jumping 4 percentage points to 68 percent. e share of consumers saying they would pur- chase a home if they were going to move also picked up, increasing 2 percentage points to 66 percent after August's three-point drop. Meanwhile, home price expectations saw a slight improvement: 45 percent of respondents expect prices to rise in the next year, up from 42 percent in August and July, with the average price change expectation edging up to 2.2 percent. "e September National Housing Survey shows a slight recovery in consumer housing sentiment after a two-month setback, bringing us back to the modestly positive trend we've seen over the last year," said Doug Duncan, SVP and chief economist at Fannie Mae. While admitting "[i]t might be too late to save this year's home sales from posting the first decline in five years," Duncan added that "the return to an upward trend in housing sentiment, combined with this month's positive news on the jobs front, suggests that a broad-based, albeit measured, housing recovery is on track to resume in 2015." Attitudes also improved about the economy in general. According to Fannie Mae, 40 percent of respondents in the September survey said they believe the economy is on the right track, up 5 percentage points from August. Still, more than half—54 per- cent—insist the economy is on the wrong track, down only 2 percentage points. Offering insights on their own personal finan- cial situation, a quarter of those surveyed said their household income has increased significantly in the last year, up from 23 percent in August but down from 28 percent as recently as July. Meanwhile, 37 percent said their expenses are significantly higher, up from 36 percent in the prior two months. Projecting ahead, 41 percent of Americans said they anticipate their situation will improve in the next 12 months, down from 44 percent in the previous sur- vey. At the same time, fewer expect their situation will worsen—12 percent compared to August's 14 percent. "e results of the past few months show that consumer optimism remains cautious and somewhat volatile, and we'll likely continue to see bumps on the housing recovery path reflected in our survey results," Duncan said. Rosenberg & Associates Adds Two Attorneys Maryland-based real estate law firm Rosenberg & Associates has added Jullie Evasco and Jennifer Rochino to the firm. Evasco is admitted to practice in all of Virginia's state courts and the Eastern District Federal Court of Virginia. She received a Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Old Dominion University. She will be working in Rosenberg & Associates' Virginia office. Rochino is a member of both the Maryland Bar Association and the Virginia State Bar, and she is admitted to practice in both states. She is experienced in the areas of foreclosure, creditors' rights, and bankruptcy, and she received a Juris Doctorate with a concentration in real state law from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Rochino obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in information systems technology from the University of Maryland University College. Hutchens Partners Named Best in America Two Hutchens Law Firm partners were recently listed in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Managing partner Terry Hutchens and Bill Senter were chosen by their peers for inclusion on the Best Lawyers list. Being named to the list is considered a singular honor because of the rigorous and transparent methodology used to compile the list and because lawyers are not allowed to pay to be listed. For his work in the category of mortgage banking foreclosure law, Terry Hutchens has been named to the Best Lawyers list each year since 2010 and received the Lawyer of the Year honor in 2012. Senter was honored for his work in the category of workers' compensation law claimants.

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