Economy in Brief

Job market strength appears to be waning. Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 293,000 during the week ended January 16 (-1.5% y/y) from 283,000 during the prior week, revised from 284,000. The four-week moving average [...]

The pump price for a gallon of regular gasoline averaged $1.91 last week (-7.4% y/y), down from $2.00 in the prior week, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal [...]

During all of last year, housing starts increased 10.8% to 1.107 million units. The level was the highest since 2007 and double the 2009 low. During December, starts eased 2.5% to 1.149 million (AR) from 1.179 million, revised from [...]

The Consumer Price Index eased 0.1% during December following no change in November. The 0.7% twelve-month increase compared to 0.8% during 2014 as inflation during both years was held in check by lower energy costs. Prices excluding [...]

Germany's PPI gauge fell by 0.4% in December as it continued a string of weakness. Manufactures prices also fell, extending their string of declines. Ex-energy manufactures prices were flat in December after a series of drops. Oil [...]

Sluggish growth in worldwide economies continues to put downward pressure on industrial commodity prices. The industrial price index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) deteriorated by 0.7% [...]

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo held steady during January at 60 after falling 7.7% during the prior two months. It matched the level reached last June and has moved in a [...]

ZEW expectations continue to cling to weak values. In January the expectation reading fell to 10.2 from 16.1 in December, below November's 10.4 reading and to its weakest reading since October. The ZEW current reading picked up in [...]