Economy in Brief: May 2019

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate rebounded to 4.7% during March after declining sharply to 4.5% in February. The job openings rate is the job openings level as a percent of total employment plus [...]

Retail gasoline prices improved by one penny last week to $2.90 per gallon (1.8% y/y) after rising five cents during the prior week. It was the highest level since early-October and roughly matched the 2018 high. Haver Analytics [...]

The Industrial Materials Price Index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) fell 1.3% during the last four weeks and was 11.6% below the prior year's level. Declines y/y were notable for metals [...]

Retail sales volumes in the EMU are slightly elevated but remain on a moderate growth path after going flat month-to-month in March. Sales volume is up by 1.8% over 12 months, accelerating over six months and accelerating also over [...]

The Composite Index of Nonmanufacturing Sector Activity from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) slipped to 55.5 in April from 56.1 in March. This was the fourth monthly decline in the past five months but leaves the index still [...]

Since the EMU formation, Germany has been the low inflation country. Germany as the largest economy in the EMU gets the greatest weight in setting EMU macroeconomic data, including the HICP, for just that reason. In the past ‘most’ [...]

The labor market remained robust during April. Nonfarm payrolls increased 263,000 (1.8% y/y) following a 189,000 March gain, revised from 196,000. February's rise was revised higher to 56,000. The April increase exceeded expectations [...]

The labor market remained robust during April. Nonfarm payrolls increased 263,000 (1.8% y/y) following a 189,000 March gain, revised from 196,000. February's rise was revised higher to 56,000. The April increase exceeded expectations [...]