Economy in Brief: April 2014

German retail sales fell by 0.6% in March after rising by 0.2% in February. Nonetheless, over three months German retail sales excluding autos are rising at a 7% annual rate on the strength of the strong gain back in January. Ex-auto [...]

At today's meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed indicated that economic growth had picked up and that price inflation still was below its long run objective. Fiscal policy was seen as limiting the economy's [...]

Economic activity in the Midwest picked up this month. Chicago purchasing managers indicated that their April index of General Business Conditions rose to 63.0 after an unrevised fall to 55.9 in March. The figure was the highest since [...]

The employment cost index for private industry workers increased 0.3% (1.8% y/y) in Q1'14, following a 0.5% rise in Q4. This was the smallest quarterly increase in almost five years. This report includes annual seasonal adjustment [...]

ADP/Moody's National Employment Report reported a 220,000 rise (2.1% y/y) in nonfarm private sector jobs during April. Expectations were for a 200,000 gain in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Last month's rise followed increases [...]

Real GDP ticked 0.1% higher (2.3% y/y) last quarter following an unrevised 2.6% gain in Q4 2013. The Department of Commerce indicated in this advance estimate that growth was its weakest since Q4 2012. Growth was well short of [...]

Real GDP ticked 0.1% higher (2.3% y/y) last quarter following an unrevised 2.6% gain in Q4 2013. The Department of Commerce indicated in this advance estimate that growth was its weakest since Q4 2012. Growth was well short of [...]

Following a sharp rise in March, consumer confidence, as measured by the Conference Board, eased to an index reading of 82.3 this month (+19.3% y/y) from an upwardly revised 83.9. The latest figure remained nearly the highest since [...]