Economy in Brief

In the report on September labor market conditions, delayed by the federal government shutdown, nonfarm payrolls rose 148,000 (1.7% y/y) during September following revised increases of 193,000 and 89,000 in the prior two months, [...]

Sales of existing homes declined 1.9% (+10.7% y/y) last month to 5.290 million (AR). The drop followed no-change during August revised from a 1.7% rise, according to the National Association of Realtors. Consensus expectations had [...]

For only the second month in a row, Japan's all three METI sector indices are rising together year-over-year. The construction index is up 14% year-over-year and its rise has been gaining momentum until this month when the year-over- [...]

Canada's year-over-year CPI pace has expanded at a 1.1% rate in each of the last two months and has accelerated since November unlike inflation in the US and in EMU that has stabilized or moved lower. Yet inflation in Canada is still [...]

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank reported that its General Business Conditions Index for October retreated to 19.8 from 22.3 in September. Nevertheless, the figure remained near the highest level since March 2011 and was firmer [...]

UK retail sales rose by 0.5% in real terms in September. That rise left the three-month growth rate for sales at 3.1% below its 4.8% pace for 3-months but above its 2.2% pace over 12-months. Sales are up at a very strong 6.1% annual [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 358,000 (-6.8% y/y) during the week ended October 12 from 373,000 during the prior week, initially reported as 374,000. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 342,000 claims. [...]

Italy's trade balance improved in August. Both exports and imports rose month-to-month in August with exports up by 3,3% and imports up by 1.0%. Italian exports show a sharp drop in `other goods' a category that fell by 23.8% year- [...]