Economy in Brief: 2008

The weakening job market pushed initial claims for jobless insurance above 500,000 for the first time since they were briefly there; late during the recession of 2001 and just after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. At 516,000, claims rose [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit narrowed in September somewhat more than expected. At $56.5B versus an unrevised $59.1B during August, the deficit was its smallest since last October. So far this year the monthly trade deficit has [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit narrowed in September somewhat more than expected. At $56.5B versus an unrevised $59.1B during August, the deficit was its smallest since last October. So far this year the monthly trade deficit has [...]

Euro Area industrial output (IP) fell sharply in October dropping by its largest amount in over five years. In Sept MFG IP is dropping across all major product groupings just as it did in August and nearly did so in July. In the EMU [...]

Weakening economic growth in the U.S. as well as in other industrial countries has sapped what had been, until early this past summer, pronounced strength in commodity prices. Since then, copper prices, corn prices, crude oil and [...]

Weakening economic growth in the U.S. as well as in other industrial countries has sapped what had been, until early this past summer, pronounced strength in commodity prices. Since then, copper prices, corn prices, crude oil and [...]

Investors in Germany appear to be encouraged by the steps the central bank and the government have taken in recent weeks to deal with the economic slowdown. The European Central Bank reduced it key rate by 50 basis points on October 8 [...]

According to the International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs Index, chain store sales dropped 1.0% last week from the last week in October. That wasn't the first sign of severe weakness in sales. There was one weekly [...]