Hello, friends and Fortune readers.
Happy Labor Day! This weekend marks the end of the summer season, and as the kids head back to school, the corporate world will move into full drive as well. While you’re still enjoying the glow of your summer tan, here’s what you need to know to be ready for your week ahead.
1. Motorola will launch new phone before Apple steals the spotlight
The smartphone and tablet maker will host a major press event this Thursday, Sept. 4th. Motorola (MSI) is expected to reveal its new Moto 360 smartwatch as well asa the Moto G 2 and Moto X+1 smartphone duo. The company may also parade out a new bluetooth headset accessory. The Moto 360 was announced in mid-March and will finally launch nearly half a year later. The announcement comes a week before Apple’s much touted Sept. 9th event where it is expected to show its newest iPhone models and possibly its own smartwatch.
2. August job numbers
Another month, another jobs report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the U.S. jobs report on Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists estimate that jobs will increase by 220,000, which would make it the sixth month in a row that job gains have topped 200,000. The unemployment rate is expected to fall slightly to 6.1%. Prior to the BLS report, Automatic Data Processing comes out with its monthly national employment report on Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. ET.
3. Beyond jobs, how is the economy doing?
A host of other data comes out this week that will also provide insight into how the economy is faring. First out is construction spending on Tuesday, which economists estimate will be up 0.8% in August. Car sales for the month of August also come out Tuesday. Total sales are expected to be around 16.5 million. Factory orders are reported on Wednesday and are economist estimate orders to up about 10.8%.
4. The Fed’s data dump
The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book will be released this Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET. The report, which is published eight times a year, collects anecdotal information on the current economic climate in regions across the U.S. Compare how Detroit is feeling these days versus those in sunny Los Angeles. The books is often full of interesting tidbits from economists, business leaders and market experts, like how many Broadway shows are running in New York City or the price of West Texas crude oil.
5. Will this year’s TechCruch hackathon create another multi-million-dollar company?
TechCrunch Disrupt’s hackathon kicks off in San Francisco on Saturday. Hundreds of coders and developers will divide into teams to come up with a brilliant idea and build it from the ground up in just under 24 hours. Disrupt hackathons are a hotbed of tech innovation, and even resulted in at least one multi-million dollar purchase. GroupMe, created at a New York Disrupt event, was bought by Skype in 2011 for more than $50 million a year after its creation. The hackathon leads up to the annual Disrupt conference starting on Sept. 8th.
