Economy in Brief

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that job market conditions changed little during December. The latest Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicated that though the job openings rate ticked up to 1.9%, it remained off [...]

Consumer spending has recovered from its post-holiday slump, but real life is not yet apparent. Weekly chain store sales improved last week although the 1.4% w/w rise left purchases up just slightly from the January average. That [...]

A sense of modest improvement returned to small business. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported their January small business optimism index made up the prior two months' declines with an increase to 88.0. [...]

A sense of modest improvement returned to small business. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported their January small business optimism index made up the prior two months' declines with an increase to 88.0. [...]

The Bank of France and France's INSEE (Institute National des Statistiques et Etudes Economiques) publish measures of business sentiment in industry. The Bank of France measure canvasses about 6000 managers on various business [...]

Canada’s housing starts are in a dig-out phase. The sharp-seeming 5.8% rise this month only takes starts back toward their recent local peak. Starts are sharply up from their financial crisis low point but are still well short of [...]

Consumers steered away from credit last year. In fact, they avoided it to a record degree as the outstanding balance fell by $102.3B, or 4.0%, by yearend from 2008. Released late on Friday, the December decline of $1.8B was the [...]

Consumers steered away from credit last year. In fact, they avoided it to a record degree as the outstanding balance fell by $102.3B, or 4.0%, by yearend from 2008. Released late on Friday, the December decline of $1.8B was the [...]