Economy in Brief: May 2019

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 [...]

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 [...]

Asia: still weak after all these years The Asian PMIs show weakening monthly performance from four of nine reporters with one (Japan) improving albeit showing manufacturing contraction (PMI raw score below 50). Japan is the lone [...]

After jumping 37,000 in the April 20 week, initial claims for unemployment insurance held steady at 230,000 (8.0% year-on-year) during the week ended April 27. The April 20 number was unrevised. The Action Economics Forecast Survey [...]

Manufacturers' orders surged 1.9% (2.0% y/y) during March following a 0.3% February decline, revised from -0.5%. A 1.3% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Orders for durable goods rose 2.6% (2.1% y/y), [...]

Output per hour in the nonfarm business sector grew 3.6% (SAAR) during Q1'19 following a 1.3% gain in Q4'18, revised from 1.9%. It was the strongest increase since Q3'14. During the last four quarters, productivity growth picked up to [...]

After jumping 37,000 in the April 20 week, initial claims for unemployment insurance held steady at 230,000 (8.0% year-on-year) during the week ended April 27. The April 20 number was unrevised. The Action Economics Forecast Survey [...]

In the four quarters ended Q1:2019, the chain-price index for personal consumption expenditures increased 1.4%, down from 1.9% in the four quarters ended Q4:2018. This was the slowest increase since 1.0% in the four quarters ended [...]