Introducing

Robert Brusca

Robert A. Brusca is Chief Economist of Fact and Opinion Economics, a consulting firm he founded in Manhattan. He has been an economist on Wall Street for over 25 years. He has visited central banking and large institutional clients in over 30 countries in his career as an economist. Mr. Brusca was a Divisional Research Chief at the Federal Reserve Bank of NY (Chief of the International Financial markets Division), a Fed Watcher at Irving Trust and Chief Economist at Nikko Securities International. He is widely quoted and appears in various media. Mr. Brusca holds an MA and Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. His research pursues his strong interests in non aligned policy economics as well as international economics. FAO Economics’ research targets investors to assist them in making better investment decisions in stocks, bonds and in a variety of international assets. The company does not manage money and has no conflicts in giving economic advice.

Publications by Robert Brusca

Europe| Jul 17 2026
HICP Detail in EMU Shows Inflation Lurking
Inflation in EMU The recent inflation data in the European Monetary Union is emblematic of the kind of issues that central banks typically have to deal with. Casual central bank observers think of central banks as “leaning against the wind,” meaning that they raise rates when inflation is high and then cut rates when the economy gets weak. Indeed, this is largely what central banks do. However, they also try to be anticipatory when they can, seeking to get ahead of surges in inflation and periods when the economy is going to weaken. It's very hard to forecast those shifts in the best of circumstances, and so a great deal of the judgment that central banks form comes from the near-term trends, even though central banks are aware that the most recent data can also be some of the most volatile and prone to revision. With these sorts of caveats, we look at the recent inflation data from the European Monetary Union, and we see less than straightforward trends.

At its last meeting, the European Central Bank got out in front of events and started raising rates ahead of any action by the Federal Reserve. In June, its year-over-year HICP and core HICP rates both decelerated compared to their May values, with the headline easing to 2.8% from 3.2% and the core to 2.4% from 2.6%. Having inflation rates move in the opposite direction of policy, even in the short run, can create rough sledding for a central bank that is, in any event, trying to look at the broader trend rather than the most recent wiggle in the inflation rate.

The good, the bad, and the unexpected If we go back to December, we see the HICP in the monetary union at 2%, followed by 1.7% in January and 1.9% in February. At that point, things seemed to be well in hand. The problem was that the core inflation rate in December was 2.3%; while it fell to 2.2% in January, it popped back up to 2.4% in February. So, February was one of those uncomfortable months where both the headline and core rates were popping up, but the headline rate was still below the 2% target that the ECB seeks to attain. After February, of course, the world changed; the war in Iran spiked up oil prices and that's when inflation rate in the monetary union rose to 2.6% in March, 3% in April, and 3.2% in May. June inflation has backed down from those higher rates of change; however, conditions in the Middle East that had prompted some release of air from the inflation balloon in June have reversed, and so, the outlook once again is for oil prices to remain high and for inflation to remain troublesome.

Inflation still percolates At the bottom of the table, I show the percentage of categories with inflation accelerating over three months, and since February, that percentage is over 50% in each month. The percentage of categories with inflation accelerating over six months strings out to three months in a row. The decision by the ECB to raise rates is entirely understandable given these trends. In addition, and perhaps less tethered to any particular monetary rule, included in the right-hand column, the inflation ranking in June is compared to data back to the year 2001, a roughly 25-year period. Over this timeline, the headline HICP ranks in the 83rd percentile and the core rate in the 82nd percentile. In both cases, we're looking at inflation being higher only 17% or 18% of the time during this span, which once again marks this as a strong inflation period.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Europe| Jul 16 2026
EMU Trade Balance Swings to Deficit in May
Global trade volumes continue to expand Despite military actions around various geopolitical hotspots, war zones, and other geopolitical tensions, plus the imposition of tariffs, World Trade volumes in dry goods have continued to expand significantly since early 2025.

Exports from the European monetary Union have grown over the past year by 5.5%, while imports have surged ahead at a 14.3% annual rate. The growth in trade is driven mostly by nonmanufactured goods, and this is largely a pricing effect as inflation has remained high and oil prices during this period have risen sharply.

The trade balance and its dynamics The euro area trade balance in May slipped into a deficit of €4.97 billion after having a surplus of only €836 million in April. Over the last 12 months, the surplus averaged €5.7 billion per month. We can build up the trade balance several different ways to explain it. One way to understand it is that there are certain tensions between manufactured and nonmanufactured goods. The balance on manufactured goods trade 12 months ago was an average €36 billion over the previous 12 months, whereas it's currently showing a 12-month average that has fallen to a €26 billion surplus. However, all of the trend changes appear to have occurred between a year ago and earlier this past year, since the 12-month, six-month, and three-month averages, as well as the stand-alone reading for May, show manufacturing surpluses in the neighborhood of €25 billion. For nonmanufactured goods, 12 months ago the average monthly deficit was €22.8 billion, whereas over the last 12 months the average has been about €20.2 billion; that's a slightly smaller deficit. The sequential nonmanufacturing deficit balance, however, crept up through the course of the last 12 months, and in May it registered a €30.95 billion deficit. Erosion in the deficit position of the euro area is significantly based on an increased deficit in nonmanufactured goods.

Aggregate trade flows show exports accelerating from 12-months to six-months to three-months, with the same progression for imports, except that the import growth rates are substantially higher than for exports. Exports of manufactured goods accelerate from 12-months to six-months to three-months, but the exports of nonmanufactured goods are stronger and accelerate much more on that same timeline. Imports show manufactured goods in a relatively weak acceleration mode from 12-months to three-months as well. For nonmanufactured goods, the import growth rates post incredible results; they're extremely strong. This, of course, is mostly a pricing effect reflecting the impact of oil prices.

The table includes a few bilateral comparisons. Germany shows accelerating imports, and while there's steady growth in exports, they're not accelerating the same as imports. For France, exports accelerate quite strongly while imports accelerated, but with much less vigor. Much of this has to do with France’s greater reliance on nuclear power as France gets about 65% or more of its electricity from nuclear energy compared to only 11% for Germany, which has cut back and is transitioning away from nuclear power, making it more dependence on other energy sources and boosting energy imports. U.K. exports and imports are both showing growth, but there is no clear trend.

The table also presents export data for five European nations. Exports accelerate for each of them except for Italy, where exports are in a markedly different and decelerating pattern.

On balance, trade trends are in flux although manufacturing trends seem to be quite stable. Volatile oil and other commodity prices are causing severe swings in trade flows across Europe and certainly globally as well. With the situation in the Strait of Hormuz still unresolved, the outlook for trade will continue to expect volatility.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Europe| Jul 15 2026
IP in EMU Remains Weak
Industrial production in the European Monetary Union (EMU) shows only a very minor and idiosyncratic sector acceleration in the nondurable goods sector. Other sectors show trends that are not focused and drift into random variability. Nondurable goods output shows growth of -10.9% over 12 months, improving to a pace of -9.9% over six months annualized and improving further to -8.7% annualized over three months. The irony is that nondurable output is contracting over all these periods, but the contractions are becoming slightly less virulent. It is nothing to base any optimism on despite the technically ‘improving’ trend.

Total output and manufacturing output in the EMU each show strong gains annualized over three months after declines on balance over six months and 12 months.

While the secular trends are not clear in showing persistent accelerations or decelerations for the most part, it's true that output across the consumer industries continues to show contraction on all timelines. When we move to intermediate goods and capital goods, we're looking at output showing increases over 12 months, six months, and three months. Even if there are not clear progressions, the persistence of output gains is notable. This again underscores the extent to which expansion is being carried ahead by business and not by the consumer, even in Europe.

On a quarter-to-date (QTD) basis (two months into the second quarter), output is generally showing increases, with the exception of consumer durable goods showing an output decline at a 2.4% annual rate. Top-line growth is still very unimpressive, with total industrial production at a 0.6% annual growth rate and manufacturing alone at a 0.4% annual growth rate; neither of these is strong, solid, or impressive.

Turning to the percentile standing data that evaluate the strength of year-over-year growth on a historic timeline, we see that manufacturing and total output growth log percentile standings just below the 30th percentile. Consumer goods, as an aggregate category, have a 1.3% standing, which is extremely weak. That standing consists of a 29% standing for consumer durables and a 1.3 percentile standing for consumer nondurables output.

Once again, it is intermediate and capital goods that are the backbone of support for output. Intermediate goods’ annual growth rate has a 63-percentile standing, and the year-over-year growth rate for capital goods has a 52.9 percentile standing. Both being above the 50% mark puts them above their median for the period of analysis; that period extends back to August 2006, roughly a 20-year period.

I previously reported on the country detail. The country detail shows accelerating manufacturing output in Ireland, Portugal, and Sweden (Sweden that is not a monetary union member). Austria, a monetary union member, shows persistent deceleration, while the rest of the countries in the group show somewhat chaotic patterns.

While the percentile standing for year-over-year growth in manufacturing is at the 27th percentile mark for the whole of the monetary union, that amalgamation includes size weighting for that evaluation. If we take the unweighted averages for the percentile standings for 11 of the oldest monetary union members, their average individual ranking is much higher at a 48.3 percentile mark. Clearly, there are great differences by country across the monetary union, and this gives the ECB an additional headache in trying to make one monetary policy for such a varied group of economies.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Japan| Jul 14 2026
Japan’s IP Is Fighting Off Weak Trends
Industrial production in Japan fell by 0.5% in May after rising by 0.7% in April and declining by 0.2% in March. Manufacturing output rose by 0.1% in May after rising by 0.4% in April and declining by 0.3% in March. Total industrial output shows a 0.7% gain over 12 months, a 3.4% annual rate gain over six months, and zero change in output over three months. For manufacturing, 12-month output is up 0.7%; over six months, output is up at a 6.1% annual rate; and over three months, output is up by 0.8% at an annual rate.

These trends show that output continues to grow for manufacturing as well for total industry, but not by a great margin. In fact, there are still a number of industries still fighting off negative trends, such as textiles, where output falls over three months, six months, and 12 months, as well as investment goods and mining, both of which show declines over three months, six months and 12 months. One year ago, all of these sectors were showing year-over-year declines except for manufacturing, which was up by 0.5% over 12 months. Manufacturing output is now up by 0.7% year-over-year, with consumer goods up by 1.8%, intermediate goods output up by 2%, and investment goods falling by 3%. Japan is currently trying to fight off a legacy of weakness. The strength of the rebound is being borne by consumer goods and intermediate goods, with investment goods undergoing significant contractive effects.

Manufacturing is showing gains on all three sequential horizons. Utilities output is showing growth on each horizon, and actually shows gathering strength, rising by 0.9% over 12 months, at a 1.4% annual rate over six months, and at a very strong 7.9% annual rate over three months.

In the quarter-to-date (QTD) basis, most of these sectors are losing the battle against weakness, with most industry or sectors showing declines two months into the new quarter. Overall output declines at a 0.2% annual rate. Manufacturing output falls at a 2.2% annual rate, intermediate goods output falls at a 0.2% annual rate, and investment goods output falls at a 7.2% annual rate. The only exception is consumer goods output, which is rising at a solid 5.3% annual rate, but that's not strong enough to drag all of industrial output or even manufacturing into the plus column.

Manufacturing output currently is at about 87.7% of its past peak. Activity in electric and gas utilities are at 90.4% of their past peak, while mining is only at 59.6% of its past peak of activity. Comparing levels of output to where they were in January 2020, manufacturing is at 94% of that value, with total industry also at 94% of that value. Consumer goods are at 98% of that value, intermediate goods at 92%, and investment goods at 93%. Mining is only at 74% of its January 2020 value, while electric and gas utilities have moved beyond the January 2020 level and are 3.3% higher than they were and early 2020.

Since 2020, it has been a relatively difficult time for the global economy. The Japanese statistics show only one sector that has managed to create positive growth compared to its level in January 2020. The current month is a mix of plus-and-minus activity changes. Sequential trends generally show more positives than negatives, but there are still a lot of negatives in train that keep Japanese manufacturing from reaching clearly solid footing. When the Strait of Hormuz opened, it appeared that Japan would be in a position to build on its recovery, but now, with the failed peace agreement and failed ceasefire, the strait once again has been closed and the outlook is shrouded in negativity.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Norway| Jul 13 2026
Norwegian IP Struggles, but Manufacturing Shows Some Strength
Industrial output in Norway fell by 1% in May after rising by 0.6 in April and falling by 1.1% in March. The seesaw act for output continues. Over broader horizons, however, output is falling. It falls by 0.1% over 12 months, falls at a 1.1% annual rate over six months, and falls at a 6.2% annual rate over three months, giving us a clear sequential trend toward falling and decelerating output. Utilities output has chaotic trends, as do mining and quarrying; however, manufacturing shows a clear trend toward output acceleration, with a 2.1% output increase over 12 months, a 2.6% annual rate rise over six months, and a 9% annual rate increase over three months.

Manufacturing sectors show consumer goods output increasing in May, also showing secular acceleration from 12 months to six months to three months. Durable goods, however, are the fly in the ointment, with output up 2.2% over 12 months, accelerating over six months, and then dropping at a 20.4% annual rate over three months. However, consumer nondurables show growth and acceleration, with a 12-month gain of 1.8%, rising to a 3.6% annual rate increase over six months and a 10.9% annual rate increase over three months. Intermediate goods output trends return to more difficult times and show declines over 12 months, six months, and three months, but not a clear path of deceleration. Capital goods output is up 5.4% over 12 months and at an 8.5% annual rate over three months, but there is an intervening soft spot with output up at only a 3.4% annual rate over six months.

Against this background, inflation in Norway showed solid increases in May, rising by 0.2% overall and by 0.3% for the core HICP. However, sequentially inflation gains 3% over 12 months, rises at a 3.8% annual rate over six months, and then backs down to a 1.2% annual rate over three months. The core HICP is steadier, with a 3.4% gain over 12 months, rising to a 3.8% annual rate over six months, and then backing down to 3.2% at an annual rate over three months. That's a set of growth rates that are more stable than either accelerating or decelerating.

In the quarter-to-date (QTD) basis, industrial production is falling 4.6%; this is two months into the second quarter. On the other hand, manufacturing output is rising QTD at a 4.9% annual rate, with consumer nondurables showing strong positive growth along with intermediate goods output. There is a solid gain of 3.1% at an annual rate from capital goods. The QTD inflation trends remain somewhat mixed, with a weak headline showing a 1.6% annual rate, against a core HICP at a 3.4% annual rate rise, the latter gain being well in step with its sequential results.

The far right-hand column compares industrial production over the broad period from just before COVID (in January 2020) looking at the ratio of the level of output in May 2026 to its index value in January 2020. Remember that IP data are inflation-adjusted, so these are real data. Over this span, industrial production excluding construction is up by approximately 10%, with utilities output up at about 21%, mining and quarrying up about 5%, and manufacturing up a little more than 7%. This is a 5½-year period. Consumer goods output is up by 2.7%, led by consumer nondurables which rise 4.1% on the period and against durable goods output where there is a decline of about 13% on that timeline. Intermediate goods output drops slightly on the timeline by less than half a percentage point, while capital goods output is up at a solid and strong 23% gain. Looking at prices over the same period, the headline HICP is higher by 27% while the core is higher by 24%.

The weakened output shows the stresses and strains of the period, with weak gains in place over the last 5½ years and with the consumer showing considerable wear and tear, leaving consumer goods output lower on balance over this 5½-year span. It hasn't been such a bad time for capital goods, where output rose by 23% over the period. Inflation got out-of-the-box and grew quite strongly. The headline HICP grew by 27% since January 2020, a duration of time during which, sticking to its target, would have implied a gain in the price level of only 11.5%.

Ongoing overshooting Even now central banks are trying to decide how to come to grips with the inflation pressures from that. Pressures continue to linger and threaten the economies. Of course, there are some new factors in place, but that's the nature of inflation: if it's not one thing, it's something else. And failing to respond to the one thing means that you're going to get hit even worse when it becomes something else. This is the lesson the central banks haven't learned during this period.

Have central banks learned their lesson? Noting that inflation is over target and then forecasting that it's going to come back down to target over some period ahead puts the inflation performance at risk to whatever happens between now and the end of that period ‘ahead.’ If that forecast isn't perfectly right and if there's something else that disturbs the path of prices, what will happen is that an inflation that is already over the top of the target will push even farther over the top of the target and the dilemma faced by the central bank will become even worse. This is why kicking the can down the road generally is not a very good strategy, but it's one that virtually all the central banks pursued in the wake of COVID. So, will central bankers come to see inflation that is here and now as a here-and-now problem to be addressed here and now, or as a candidate for tomorrow land? The ECB seems to be changing, and the Fed has formed task forces. What about Norway and the rest of the world? Norway did push its target rate up as the ECB hiked. But what is its plan?
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Europe| Jul 10 2026
Industrial Sector Remains Under Pressure in EMU
Manufacturing output in the countries of the European Monetary Union continues to underperform. The median change for the 11 countries reporting on the table is a 0.5% decline in May following a 0.3% increase in April. However, only 41.7% of the reporters are accelerating in May, compared to 25% in April, although in March over half of the reporters had showed some acceleration, with output at 61.5%.

In May, of these eleven early reporters, seven showed month-to-month declines in output. This compares to four showing declines in April and four showing declines in March.

Sequential trends Over 12 months, output is declining in four of these eleven countries: Germany, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Portugal. Over six months, output declines in five of the eleven countries. Over three months, output declines in four of the eleven countries. Over these broader sequential periods, output is increasing in most cases; only one country, Ireland, shows consistent declines in output over three months, six months, and 12 months. However, among EMU countries, only Italy shows output expanding on all three timelines, although Sweden, an EU member country, also shows output increasing in all three periods.

Amid the output weakness in May, the quarter-to-date calculation for industrial production growth is also broadly weak. In May, seven of the eleven quarter-to-date changes in industrial production are negative. Positive results, increases in the quarter-to-date, are registered by Germany, Luxembourg, Greece, and Portugal.

The ranking of the year-over-year growth rates shows seven countries with output growth rate rankings below 50%, marking them as below their respective medians. The comparisons for output growth are taken back to 2006, a period of about 20 years.

Four EMU countries rank above their twenty-year medians: France, Italy, Luxembourg, and Greece.

The snapshot of industry in the monetary union is consistent, showing little momentum, little strength, and relatively low rankings for current growth rates; only a minority of reporters show an acceleration in growth in May compared to April. With the situation in the Strait of Hormuz deteriorating again, the outlook for industrial production has to remain guarded.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Germany| Jul 09 2026
German Trades Surplus Balloons
The German trade surplus surged in May to €19.1 billion from €14.7 billion in April. Exports rose by 0.9% in May while imports fell by 2.5%, creating a jump in the surplus month-to-month. In April, exports increased by 0.8% while imports rose by 1.1%.

Details on exports and imports lag by one month. In April, exports for motor vehicles and consumer goods declined, while exports of capital goods and other exports rose. On the import side, there were increases in imports ranging from 2.8% to 4.3% month-to-month across capital goods, motor vehicles, and consumer goods, but for the catch-all category ‘other’ imports fell by 2.7% month-to-month.

Flows adjusted for inflation showed an increase in exports of 0.4% in May while real imports fell by 3.3%. In April, real exports were flat while real imports fell by 0.2%.

The sequential behavior of real exports and real imports show independent activity. Imports log a clear weakening, rising 0.1% over 12 months, falling at a 5% annual rate over six months, and then falling at a 10.3% annual rate over three months. On the export side, real exports rose by 2.6% over 12 months, accelerated to a 7.2% annual rate over six months, but over three months have pulled back and fallen at a 1.6% annual rate. However, export growth still exceeds import growth over each of these horizons: 12 months, six months, and three months.

Trade trends paint a darkening picture of the German economy, with imports weak in real terms and trending even weaker, while activity on the export side of the equation pops over 12 months and six months but takes a hit over three months.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Japan| Jul 08 2026
Economy Watchers Poll Marks Revival—Still Weak; What’s Next Now with a New Rift?
The Clash! The U.S.-Iranian clash in the Middle East resulted in a closure of the Strait of Hormuz that collapsed the economy watchers index in Japan earlier this year. However, as the war-like conditions settled down and the two sides have moved toward some kind of cease fire or a more permanent arrangement, in the wake of that comparative tranquility, the economy watchers index improved, and its future index improved more sharply. These comments applied to the data in the table and conditions up to the end of June.

New day dawning... However, the data in the table are unrelated to what has happened in the past two days, when Iran took potshots at a couple of ships in the Strait, causing the U.S. to retaliate and President Trump to declare that the ceasefire has now ended. The door remains open for some kind of talks; however, the president’s recent remarks carried in the newspapers has clearly stated that the ceasefire has ended, and the U.S. intends to hit Iran and has suggested that it intends to hit it ‘hard.’ At the same time, Mr. Trump has said the door remains open to continuing talk and negotiations if both sides still want to get together; however, he admits he is not optimistic.

Precarious times and conditions So, these are precarious conditions. Oil prices have already responded and moved higher. We have Japan’s economic data for June showing some revival in the current index and some sharply higher revivals over the last few months in the future index. However, when the dust clears the queue standings of the current and future indexes are revealed, they are pretty similar, with the current index at a standing of 29.6% and the future index of 31.6%. Both the current and future readings coalesce around a 30-percentile standing, marking the two segments of the survey as usually stronger about 70% of the time which marks the latest readings as relatively weak. And that is before we take the new realities of July into account.

The current IS the future... There isn't too much point in talking about the two parts of the survey separately. The current and future surveys are simply not that different. This month, the lowest percentile standing in the current subindexes is housing, at an 11.5 percentile standing, followed by employment at a 17.8 percentile standing. In the future index, housing has an 11.1 percentile standing and employment has an 18.6 percentile standing; these readings are also the two lowest rankings in the future survey.

Sequential improvement is only point-to-point Over three months, we can see the point-to-point changes in the current index and some improvements in all of the components except housing. In the future index, the three-month changes show point-to-point improvements in all of the components. However, both surveys show point-to-point declines over six months and broad point-to-point declines over 12 months as well. Looking at the changes based on smooth data (shown at the bottom of the table), for the three-month averages compared to six-month averages and six-month averages compared to 12-month averages, conditions show no improvement. We see no improvements in the current or future indexes over three months or six months, and no improvement in the future index in the 12-month average compared to 12-month average of 12 months ago—although 40% of the components in the current index are improved over 12 months compared to 12 months ago.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Germany| Jul 07 2026
German IP Marks Large Gain
German industrial production in May rose by 0.9% after rising by 0.2% in April. Top-line growth for industrial production shows an increase of 0.1% over 12 months, a decline of 0.2% over six months, but a revival with growth at a 4% annual rate over three months. The revival was led by consumer goods output, which gained 1.2% in May after rising 2.2% in April. Consumer goods output is lower by 0.1% over 12 months, rises at a 2.6% annual rate over six months, and again at an 8.6% annual rate over three months, marking an acceleration over this three-period sequence. Capital goods, however, an important sector in the German economy, continued to be erratic in May. Capital goods output rose by 1.3% in May after falling by more than 1% in each of the two previous months. Capital goods output is lower by 2.8% over 12 months, falling at an 8.6% annual rate over six months, and that drop is trimmed to a 4.4% contraction over three months.

The output of consumer goods is pushing industry production higher, but the output of capital goods is pulling industrial production back lower. Intermediate goods, however, are showing growth and acceleration, despite falling by 0.4% in May after increases in each of the two previous months. Nevertheless, intermediate goods output is up by 1.1% over 12 months; it accelerates from a 1.9% annual rate over six months to a 6.4% annual rate over three months.

Focusing on manufacturing output alone, there was a gain in output of 0.8% in May and a gain of 0.3% in April. However, manufacturing output is still lower by 0.6% over 12 months and falls at a 2.3% annual rate over six months before recovering a 2.2% annual rate gain over three months; nothing in this sequence is an impressive performance.

Real manufacturing orders have been oscillating back and forth, rising by 1.9% in May after falling 3.2% in April. However, over 12 months, real orders for manufactured goods are up 6.3%; yet that same series falls at a 4% annual rate over six months and then rebounds to surge ahead at a 12.8% annual rate over three months. That's an erratic performance, but with a good ending trend. Real sales in manufacturing show gains in each of the last three months, including a 1.8% month-over-month increase in May. Real sales in manufacturing rise to a 4.2% annual rate over six months and 12 months and then accelerate to a 12.4% annual rate over three months. The performance of sales is encouraging and fits well at least with the three-month spurt in real manufacturing orders.

Indicators for the German economy show that the ZEW current index weakened to -77.8 in May from -73.7 in April. The IFO manufacturing index moved higher, with the May reading of 86.7 compared to 86.3 in April. Manufacturing expectations in the IFO framework, however, weakened to 87.7 in May from 88.2 in April. The EU Commission industrial index registered -15.6 in May after -14.5 in April, another sign of weakening. Two of these four indexes weakened sequentially, looking at the values from 12 months to six months to three months; improvements were seen in the ZEW current index and the EU Commission index on this timeline.

Looking at manufacturing IP output data from select other European countries, France and Spain showed slippage in May compared to April, while Portugal posted a gain in May after a decline in April. Over 12 months, six months, and three months, France shows period-to-period positive growth, but growth is not gaining momentum. Spain shows an increase of 0.4% in output over 12 months, with slippage over six months and a solid gain over three months. In Portugal, output acceleration is in gear, with a 2.2% decline over 12 months shifting to a 6.7% annual rate gain over six months and a 10.6% annual rate gain over three months.

On a quarter-to-date (QTD) basis, German industrial production is rising for all the major sectors except for capital goods. Manufacturing output is rising QTD, along with real manufacturing orders and real sales in manufacturing. The industrial surveys for Germany all weaken QTD. Industrial production shows QTD declines for France and Spain, while Portugal posts a gain.

The ranking of year-over-year growth rates, or, for indicators, the ranking of the level compared to the past back to 2006, shows mostly weak performance for German output. There is a stronger assessment for the intermediate goods with a year-over-year growth rate ranking above the 50% rank, putting it above its historic median. Demand indicators, however, as reflected in real manufacturing orders and real sales for manufactured goods, have rankings in the 70th percentile, showing some better life for demand—that could bode well for output in the future. The industrial indicators, however, are all weak and substantially weak compared to their historic levels back to 2006.

On balance, the manufacturing and industrial data as well as surveys as of May for Germany and Europe show mixed results. There are a few pockets of strength; one of the bright spots is demand, but supply has not consistently responded to it yet. The industrial surveys are uniformly weak and definitely not a bright spot. Overall, the results are not reassuring.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Global| Jul 06 2026
Globally S&P PMIs Gain a Modicum of Traction
The global PMI data for a select group of 24 countries and their composites, provided on the graph, indicate a slight overall improvement for the total PMIs in June, with the service sector getting slightly stronger as the manufacturing sector is slightly weaker.

Conditions, however, remain uneven. The overall average for the PMI composite in June moved up to 51.4 from 50.7 in May, but the May reading had fallen from 51 in April. The median rose to 50.8 in June from 50.2 in May, but it had been at 51.2 in April. There continues to be a great deal of weakness and irregularity in the progression of the global economy—not surprisingly with the recent data coming during the period when oil prices had surged in the Strait of Hormuz had been closed. We now are seeing different conditions in force, and we'll see how much improvement occurs in July if the current global situation remains improved.

In June, nine of twenty-four reporters had PMI readings below 50, indicating contraction in economic activity. In May, there had been ten such reporters, while in April there had been nine. These readings, of course, are less than half of the reporters; however, it's still a very large proportion of the reporters where the total PMI gauges are indicating economic contraction. Over three months, there are nine reporters with average readings below 50; over six months, there are only seven; and over 12 months, there are six. This progression tells us that the situation has been getting worse rather than better.

Based on monthly data, the European Monetary Union, Germany, France, Russia, Egypt, and Qatar each recorded three consecutive months of readings below 50, indicating contraction in each of those months. Sequentially, over 12 months, six months, and three months, only France, Russia, Ghana, Egypt, and Qatar show consistent readings that average below 50 (based on raw data).

The queue standings of the levels reported by countries in June show only seven with standings above the 50th percentile; this means there are only seven countries whose PMIs in June are higher than their average back to January 2022. Not surprisingly with the recent events really focused on oil prices and the situation in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, some of the weakest ranking readings are coming from oil producers in the Middle East such as Qatar (6.1%), the UAE (1.5%), Saudi Arabia (6.1%), and Egypt (18.2%). Clearly, the interruption of the oil flow and war damage has had an outsized impact on these data.

However, quite apart from the current situation and the closure of the Strait, if we calculate the average PMI standing rather than the ranking just the average of the PMI total sector ranking, there are four countries that have averaged readings below 50 based on monthly data back to January 2022. Those countries are France, Zambia, Egypt, and Kenya. The average readings across all countries back to January 2022 is a reading of 52.3. The highest ranking during this previous period is from India; its ranking is at 58.1. Ironically, some of the strongest readings in the earlier period come from oil producers whose current rankings are so low such as Saudi Arabia at 56.6, the UAE at 54.6, and Qatar at 53.4.

There has been upward momentum this month, particularly in services, while manufacturing backtracked. However, the trend to improve conditions is no longer so clear. What is clear is that the outlook is going to depend upon whatever peace agreement proves durable involving Iran and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. This conclusion is not rocket-science; it is obvious. And it's going to take close-watching because there have been so many missteps around alleged ceasefires and treaty discussions that we can't be very sure about what's going to play out in the future and what will last.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Europe| Jul 02 2026
Unemployment Remains Quite Low in Europe
Unemployment rates in the European Monetary Union (EMU) were steady in May at 6.2%, the same level as in April, after April had fallen to 6.2% from 6.3%. The 6.2% reading is the lowest for the community since it was formed. Meanwhile, for the larger community, the EU, the unemployment rate has stabilized at 5.9%, the same as in April, again, a tick lower than it was in March. This 5.9% reading is a tick above the historic low for the European Union (EU). In both cases, the performance of these two economic conglomerations is quite excellent.

Monthly The table looks at 12 of the most senior members of the monetary union, including an observation for the United Kingdom based on its claimant-count unemployment rate, presented at the bottom of the table. In May, the monetary union saw 4 of 12 members in the table with lower unemployment rates than they had in April. In April, five members had lower unemployment rates than in March. In March, seven members had lower unemployment rates than they posted in February. The progression to lower unemployment rates has slowed based on monthly data.

Sequentially Looking at changes in the unemployment rates over broader sequential periods—three months, six months, and 12 months—6 out of 12 reporters have lower unemployment rates over three months; 7 have lower unemployment rates over six months; only 4 report unemployment rates that are lower over 12 months. The broader periods for comparison show changes in the unemployment rates that report more declines over the shorter and more recent periods compared to the longer/older periods. This is not the same trend leaning that we get from the last three months of data. It'll be good to watch these developments in the coming months to see if the tendency to lower unemployment rates is slowing or whether dropping unemployment is continuing in force.

Rankings The ranking of unemployment rates since 1990 finds only three of these 12 monetary union members with unemployment rates above their medians. Those are Luxembourg, with a 98.2 percentile standing, Finland with an 81.9 percentile standing, and Austria with a 76.6 percentile standing. Italy, on the other hand, is reporting the lowest unemployment rate that it has seen during this period. The Greek unemployment rate has been this low or lower only about 3% of the time, while in Spain the unemployment rate has been this low or lower 11% of the time. For Portugal, the unemployment ranking figure has been weaker 13% of the time. The monetary union continues to report excellent labor market results even though economic growth has been relatively disappointing.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief
Global| Jul 01 2026
Mixed but Broad Backtrack in Global Manufacturing in June
The manufacturing PMI values for June showed more worsening than improving, with 10 of 18 reporters showing conditions unchanged or getting worse on a month-to-month basis. However, taking into account the size of the changes across the various reporters, the median PMI rating for manufacturing in June improved to 51.4, an increase of 0.5 points from the month before. The month-to-month deterioration is relatively broad; however, it's also relatively mixed, and when taking the size of the changes into account, there's actually a monthly improvement.

The chart shows that manufacturing has been undergoing improvements generally since late last year, although in the last few months, there has been a topping, a capping, and in some cases a backtracking from the recent high readings. That action reflects the onset of hostilities between the United States and Iran and the on-again, off-again situation with the Strait of Hormuz being open or closed.

Over three months compared to six months ago, the average readings show deterioration in only 5 of 18 reporters. This clearly reflects what we see in the chart, which is a recent improvement over three months compared to six months. The next comparison of 6-month averages to 12-month averages finds that only four reporters are worse off over six months than they were over 12 months. Those four are Mexico, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Over 12 months compared to 12 months ago, conditions are better everywhere except in India.

In addition, we can evaluate the manufacturing performance by ranking the current month's observation in a queue of data back to January 2022, a period of about 4½ years. Viewed over that span, only four countries have readings in June below their period medians. Those are Indonesia, India, Turkey, and Russia. All the rest have readings above the 50th percentile, putting them above their historic medians. Japan has an exceptionally strong reading in June relative to its history, posting a 95.4 percentile standing. Mexico, China, Malaysia, and Taiwan also post strong standings, in their 80th percentile.

The median queue standing for the entire group is a 69.2 percentile standing, which is still quite strong. Other summary measures of sequential diffusion show that the proportion of reporters improving over 12 months is 94.4%, compared to 72.2% over 6 months and 61.1% over 3 months. The breadth of this improvement is shrinking over the near-term horizons; however, the tendency for improvement is unmistakable.

Average readings for certain groups at the bottom of the table show that the United States, the United Kingdom, EMU countries, Canada, and Japan, on an unweighted basis, have steady improvements in place from 12 months to six months to three months, with a one-month reading even stronger. The BRIC countries have readings that are marginally stronger but are staying in a tight low range around 50.8 to 51.5. The Asian average shows an improvement from 12 months to 6 months and then backtracking, with the current 3-month diffusion values just slightly above 51, around 51.5.

The global economy has shown some significant improvement recently in the manufacturing sector, and this has occurred despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and stepped-up hostilities involving Iran, including the on-again, off-again closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have spiked and have since come down substantially. However, the outlook for peace remains clouded as both sides continue to talk positively about an agreement and a ceasefire, then turn around and violate near-term conditions they have set. This makes it very difficult to handicap the future.
by:Robert Brusca
|in:Economy in Brief