Economy in Brief

Industrial output declined 0.6% during March after a 0.6% February drop, revised from -0.5%. No change in output had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Annual data revisions, released earlier this month, lowered [...]

Some distinct divergent trends are starting to emerge and to be reinforced in EMU trade patterns. The first trend is an old one that exports remain weak and may even be weakening further. This is linked, of course, to manufacturing [...]

The Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions continued to indicate expansion in business activity this month. The New York index increased to 9.56 following its surge into positive territory during March. It was the [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance fell to 253,000 during the week ended April 9 from a little-changed 266,000 in the prior week. For the past year, claims have hovered near the lowest level since 1973. Expectations were for 270,000 [...]

EMU inflation shows prices hovering around unchanged over the past 12 months. Core inflation is close to 1%. Inflation's progress for the headline over six-month and three-month shows a tendency to faster declines over shorter [...]

The Consumer Price Index nudged 0.1% higher (0.9% y/y) during March. It was the first increase in four months. A 0.2% rise had been expected in the Action Economic Forecast Survey. The CPI excluding food & energy also rose 0.1% versus [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index dipped 0.1% (-0.1% y/y) in March after an unrevised 0.2% February decline. The easing compared to a 0.3% increase expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. A 0.9% decline (-2.5% [...]

Total business inventories edged 0.1% lower m/m (+1.2% y/y) during February following a 0.1% dip in January, revised from +0.1%. Total business sales fell 0.4% m/m (-1.4% y/y), the seventh consecutive month of decline. Retail [...]