Economy in Brief

The table contains data from the EMU and for select EMU member countries as well as comparisons with the U.S. Quarterly GDP weakened in only four countries compared to their respective Q3 rates of growth. Year-over-year growth rates [...]

The job market firmed during February. Payroll employment increased by 242,000 after slowing in January, while the unemployment held steady at 4.9%, its lowest level since February 2008. The overall unemployment rate including [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit increased to $45.7 billion in January, following December's $44.7 billion, which was revised from $43.4 billion. The January result was wider than the Action Economics Forecast Survey estimate of $43.2 [...]

The job market firmed during February. Payroll employment increased by 242,000 after slowing in January, while the unemployment held steady at 4.9%, its lowest level since February 2008. The overall unemployment rate including [...]

When I began to detect a slowdown in the U.S. and the global economy, I portrayed the final outcome as likely to be the result of a strong services sector vs. a weak manufacturing sector. So the final outcome would be the result of [...]

New orders in the manufacturing sector increased 1.6% (-3.3% y/y) during January following an unrevised 2.9% December decline. The rise compared to expectations for a 1.5% increase in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The [...]

The Composite Index of Nonmanufacturing Sector Business from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) was little-changed at 53.4 during February versus an unrevised 53.5 in January. It was the lowest reading since February 2014. [...]

Nonfarm output per hour declined 2.2% at an annual rate (+0.5% y/y) during Q4'15, revised from a -3.0% estimated last month. The shortfall followed a 2.0% Q3 increase. A 3.1% decline had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast [...]