Economy in Brief: October 2014

The employment cost index for private industry workers jumped 0.7% (2.3% y/y) in Q3'14, following an unrevised 0.8% Q2 rise. These increases were the largest since Q4'07 and surpassed expectations for a 0.5% rise in the Action [...]

Boo! October 31 has turned out to be a very bad data day for the European Union as well as for the euro area. It is not that one damaging report has been released, but that a series of reports shows deterioration across Europe. [...]

Personal consumption expenditures fell 0.2% during September (+3.5% y/y) following an unrevised 0.5% August improvement. A 0.1% uptick had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. A 5.3% decline (+9.6% y/y) in motor [...]

The EU overall sentiment index rose to a level of 104 in October from 103.5 in September, an increase that was unexpected. European Monetary Union data, especially the PMI data on manufacturing and service sectors, have continued to [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance during the week ended October 25 rose to 287,000 (-17.1% y/y) from 284,000, revised from 283,000. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 281,000 claims in the latest week. The four-week [...]

GDP grew 3.5% last quarter (2.3% y/y) following an unrevised 4.6% rise. The gain exceeded expectations for 3.0% growth in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Last quarter's strength was due to trade deficit improvement and firm [...]

GDP grew 3.5% last quarter (2.3% y/y) following an unrevised 4.6% rise. The gain exceeded expectations for 3.0% growth in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Last quarter's strength was due to trade deficit improvement and firm [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that their total Mortgage Market Volume Index declined 6.6% last week (-20.2% y/y) following three week's of improvement. Applications to refinance an existing loan fell 7.4% (-22.4% y/y) [...]