Economy in Brief: 2016

The employment cost index for civilian workers increased 0.6% (2.2% y/y) during Q3'16 for the third straight quarter. The rise matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Wages and salaries increased 0.5% (2.4% y/y) [...]

Economic growth improved to 2.9% (1.5% y/y) during Q3'16 following a 1.4% Q2 rise. It was the strongest increase in two years. A 2.5% rise had been expected in the Action Economic Forecast Survey. Improvement in the foreign trade [...]

The EU Commission monthly indices that chronicle gains in the EU and EMU areas show a rise in the EU area index to 106.9 in October from 105.5 in September. The 1.3% monthly rise is less than last month's 1.6% gain; otherwise it is [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City reported that regional manufacturing sector business activity was unchanged at 6 during October. That represented improvement, however, versus negative readings registered back to early last [...]

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that pending home sales increased 1.5% during September following a 2.5% August decline, revised from -2.4%. These sales are reported as an index with 2001=100. The September value [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance declined to 258,000 (-2.6% y/y) during the week ended October 22 following a rise to 261,000 in the week prior, revised from 260,000. The four-week moving average of claims rose to 253,000, [...]

Money supply (M2) growth in the EMU slowed its year-on-year pace to 5% in September from 5.2% in August. After being boosted to a peak year-on-year pace of 6.8% in July 2015, EMU money supply growth has steady decelerated and has been [...]

New orders for durable goods slipped 0.1% (+1.6% y/y) during September after a 0.3% August rise, revised from zero change. A 0.2% gain had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Despite the latest decline, downward [...]