Friday's Fast Five: Week of 9.2

Joelle Gamble Explains the Confusing State of the US Labor Market (podcast) (Odd Lots): The unemployment rate is down to 3.5%, which is far lower than just about anyone thought it would be a year ago. On the other hand, measures of labor force participation are below where they were pre-crisis. The question is whether there's been some fundamental shift in the composition of the labor market vs. the pre-pandemic era, or whether we're still in the process of normalization.

Buyers Are on the Sidelines (The Irrelevant Investor): Sellers are anchored to 2021 prices, while the equation clearly changed for buyers due to a rise in interest rates, inflation, and a slowing economy. This story is playing out all over the country.

Why movie tickets will be $3 across America this Saturday (Vox): The discount day was announced by the Cinema Foundation, which is the nonprofit arm of the National Association of Theater Owners, a trade organization for all the major theater chains in America plus hundreds of independent theater owners. The move is kind of a nice one; if nothing else, it’s a good incentive to take a risk on a film you wouldn’t see in a theater otherwise. And it could be a smart move for theaters, too.

Sharpen Your Thinking with These 10 Powerful Cognitive Razors (Visual Capitalist):  The average adult makes about 35,000 conscious decisions each day. Given this sheer volume of choice, how do we ensure we’re making the right decisions, day in and day out, without becoming exhausted?

U.S. job growth solid in August, but labor market starting to loosen (Reuters): U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in August, but moderate wage growth and a rise in the unemployment rate to 3.7% could ease pressure on the Federal Reserve to deliver a third 75 basis point interest rate hike this month.