Economy in Brief

Widespread snowstorms in the U.S. helped limit factory operations last month. The Composite Index of Manufacturing Sector Activity from the Institute for Supply Management dropped sharply to 51.3 during January from a revised 56.5 in [...]

The index of consumer sentiment from the Reuters/University of Michigan survey slipped to 81.2 in the January survey from 82.5 during December. The reading at mid-month was 80.4. The full month figure roughly matched expectations for [...]

The index of consumer sentiment from the Reuters/University of Michigan survey slipped to 81.2 in the January survey from 82.5 during December. The reading at mid-month was 80.4. The full month figure roughly matched expectations for [...]

The employment cost index for private industry workers increased 0.5% (2.0% y/y) in Q4'13, following an unrevised 0.4% rise in Q3. For all of last year the index rose 1.9%. Wages & salaries of private industry workers gained 0.6% [...]

The unemployment rate dropped by a small margin in the European Union while it remained fixed at 12% in the European Monetary Union. However the numbers of unemployed are dropping relatively sharply in both the EU and the EMU. [...]

Personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4% (3.6% y/y) last month following an upwardly revised 0.6% November gain. A 0.2% rise had been expected in the Action Economics forecast survey. During all of 2013, spending rose 3.1% [...]

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that December pending sales of single-family homes plunged 8.7% m/m following a 0.3% slip in November, revised from a 0.2 rise. It was the seventh consecutive month of decline. [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 348,000 (-7.0% y/y) during the week ended January 25 from 329,000 during the week prior, revised from 326,000. It was the highest level of claims since the second week of December. [...]