Recent Updates
- Malaysia: Motor Vehicle Sales (Apr)
- Malaysia: House Price Index by State (Q1)
- Macao: Visitor Arrivals (Apr)
- Turkey: Domestic Debt by Holder (APR)
- UK Regional: Northern Ireland: Mortgage Possession (Q1)
- more updates...
Economy in Brief
UK Consumer Sentiment Hits Lowest Reading since 1996
(when the GFK survey began; also lowest reading 'ever')
Of these 13 readings eight of them declined on the month in May three of them improved and two of them were unchanged...
U.S. Existing Home Sales Continue to Fall in April as Houses Become Less Affordable
The combination of soaring home prices across the nation and rising interest rates is making homes less affordable...
U.S. Index of Leading Indicators Fell in April
Five of the index's components fell in April, one was unchanged and four increased...
U.S. Unemployment Claims Rose in the Latest Week
The state insured rates of unemployment in regular programs vary widely...
CBI Gauge in the UK Continues to Be Upbeat
The global economy has a lot of challenges...
Viewpoints
Commentaries are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the views of Haver Analytics.
Profits and Margins Plunge In Q1: Expect More Margin Contraction As Fed Squeezes Inflation
The Many Links of Inflation Cycle: Hard Landing Is Needed to Crack Them
Peak Inflation and Fed Policy: A Relationship which Should Worry the Fed and Scare Investors
Why Have the Yields on TIPS Been Negative in the Past Two Years?
by Tom Moeller August 26, 2004
Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose 10,000 last week to 343,000. Roughly half of the increase was due to the impact of Hurricane Charley on claims in Florida, according to the Labor Department. The prior week's level was up revised slightly and the Consensus forecast had beenfor 335,000 claims.
Initial claims during the survey period for August nonfarm payrolls fell 8,000 (2.3%) from the July period.
The 4-week moving average of initial claims fell to 336,750 (-15.1% y/y).
Continuing claims for unemployment insurance rose 5,000 following a downwardly revised 4,000 gain the week prior.
The insured rate of unemployment remained at 2.3%, where it has hovered since the end of April.
| Unemployment Insurance (000s) | 08/21/04 | 08/14/04 | Y/Y | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Claims | 343 | 333 | -12.7% | 399 | 403 | 403 |
| Continuing Claims | -- | 2,897 | -19.4% | 3,516 | 3,564 | 2974 |
