Recent Updates
- Japan: ** Japan's consumption activity index rebased from 2010=100 to 2011=100.**
- UAE: CPI (Mar), Dubai GDP (Q4); Lebanon: CPI (Mar); Israel: PMI (Mar), Quantity of New Dwellings Demanded (Feb)
- Canada: Wholesale Trade (Feb)
- US: Chicago Fed National Activity Index (Mar)
- France: Loans (Feb), Foreign Currency Liquidity (Mar)
- Spain: Industrial New Orders and Turnover, Service Sector, Construction Permits (Feb)
- more updates...
Economy in Brief
German PPI Accelerates
The German year-on-year PPI has generally been decelerating since early 2017...
U.S. Leading Economic Indicators Signal Continued Expansion
The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased 0.3% during March...
Philadelphia Fed Factory Conditions Improve; Prices Jump
The Philadelphia Fed reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index rose to 23.2 during April...
U.S. Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Are Little Changed
Initial unemployment insurance claims slipped to 232,000 (-6.1% y/y) during the week ended April 14...
U.K. Retail Sales Fall
U.K. GDP is expected to cool its jets when the first quarter GDP number is released...
by Tom Moeller March 31, 2005
Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose 20,000 to 350,000 last week versus an upwardly revised level the prior week. Consensus expectations had been for 321,000 claims.
During the last ten years there has been a (negative) 74% correlation between the level of initial claims for unemployment insurance and the monthly change in payroll employment. There has been a (negative) 66% correlation with the level of continuing claims.
The four week moving average of initial claims rose to 336,000 (-1.2% y/y).
Continuing claims for unemployment insurance dropped 66,000 from the prior week and the insured rate of unemployment remained at 2.1%.
| Unemployment Insurance (000s) | 03/26/05 | 03/19/05 | Y/Y | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Claims | 350 | 330 | 1.4% | 343 | 402 | 404 |
| Continuing Claims | -- | 2,608 | -11.6% | 2,926 | 3,531 | 3,570 |
