Economy in Brief: March 2018

Total sales of light vehicles during February slipped 0.5% (-2.2% y/y) to 17.08 million units (SAAR), following a 3.9% January fall to 17.16 million units, according to the Autodata Corporation. Last month's sales compared to an 18.57 [...]

Unemployment rates continues to fall in the EMU. The EMU rate itself is at 8.6% in January and in December 2017 which was revised lower. The EMU wide unemployment rate is the lowest since December 2008. Of the eleven original EMU [...]

The ISM manufacturing sector composite index jumped to 60.8 during February from 59.1 in January. It was the highest level since May 2004. A level of 58.6 had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During the last ten [...]

The value of construction put-in-place was unchanged during January (3.2% y/y) following upwardly revised increases of 1.2% and 0.8% in November and December (these were previously reported as 0.6% and 0.7% respectively). A 0.2% gain [...]

Individuals felt the need to bolster savings account balances and pared back spending during January. Additions to savings were aided by tax cuts. Personal consumption expenditures gained 0.2% (4.4% y/y) during January following an [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims fell to 210,000 (-7.9% y/y) during the week ended February 24 from 220,000 in the prior week, which was revised from 222,000. Expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey looked for [...]