Economy in Brief

According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), small business optimism fell again last month. The index level of 84.1 was down 1.3% month-to-month. The latest level was the lowest since early-1980 and was the [...]

The consumer remained slumbering last week after the holiday season. Chain store sales were roughly stable from the prior week and the latest level also was roughly equal to the January average, according to the International Council [...]

According to the U.S. Department of Energy survey, regular gasoline prices last week continued their upward movement in place since late December. At an average $1.93 per gallon, prices have increased 31 cents from the low. And the [...]

According to the U.S. Department of Energy survey, regular gasoline prices last week continued their upward movement in place since late December. At an average $1.93 per gallon, prices have increased 31 cents from the low. And the [...]

Kazuo Momma, head of Research and Statistics at the Bank of Japan, commented in a recent speech that the Japanese economy may have declined at an "unimaginable speed" in the fourth quarter of last year. Estimates of a seasonally [...]

The Federal Reserve reported that consumer credit outstanding rose just 1.7% during all of last year. That growth in U.S. credit usage was its lowest since 1993. The slowdown was led by revolving credit outstanding (credit cards), [...]

The Federal Reserve reported that consumer credit outstanding rose just 1.7% during all of last year. That growth in U.S. credit usage was its lowest since 1993. The slowdown was led by revolving credit outstanding (credit cards), [...]

The bad news from the labor market continued unabated last month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that January nonfarm payrolls were slashed by 598,000 after cuts of 577,000 and 597,000 during the prior two months. Both of [...]