Economy in Brief

The OECD LEIs remain mired in the muck of readings below the breakeven value of 100, but close enough for the OECD to continue to look for relatively stable growth. The overarching OECD index, the U.S. index, the U.K. index, the Japan [...]

Consumer credit outstanding increased $25.9 billion (6.8% y/y) during August following a $17.8 billion July improvement, revised from $17.7 billion. It was the strongest rise since September 2015, and one of the firmest of the [...]

Inventories at the wholesale level fell 0.2% (-0.1% y/y) during August after a 0.1% easing in July, revised from no change. The advance report had indicated a 0.1% August dip. Inventories of durable goods rose 0.2% (-1.9% y/y) after a [...]

The job market is settling onto a path of moderate improvement. Nonfarm payroll employment increased 156,000 (1.7% y/y) during September following revised gains of 167,000 and 252,000 during the prior two months. These where reported [...]

The job market is settling onto a path of moderate improvement. Nonfarm payroll employment increased 156,000 (1.7% y/y) during September following revised gains of 167,000 and 252,000 during the prior two months. These where reported [...]

German IP rebounded to gain 2.5% month-to-month in August after a 1.5% drop in July. With this rebound, German GDP is up at an 8.8% annual rate over three months. However, it is only up at a 0.5% pace two months into the third [...]

German orders rose by 1% in August, their second monthly gain in a row. It was the first back-to-back monthly gain since November. However neither domestic nor foreign orders have posted monthly gains back-to-back since March for [...]

The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that job cut announcements during September rose to 44,324 (-24.7% y/y) and made up most of the August decline to 32,188. Layoffs rose in the aerospace/defense, chemical, [...]