Economy in Brief

Nominal personal income grew 0.5% last month and beat Consensus expectations for a 0.3% gain. The rise lifted the three-month growth in income to 4.8%, its best since September. Wage & salary income moderated a bit and rose 0.3% after [...]

Nominal personal income grew 0.5% last month and beat Consensus expectations for a 0.3% gain. The rise lifted the three-month growth in income to 4.8%, its best since September. Wage & salary income moderated a bit and rose 0.3% after [...]

Japanese retail sales strengthened late in 2007 but are giving those gains back in Q1 2008. Inflation adjusted retail sales fell by 1% in February 2008, unwinding the 0.8% gain in January. In the quarter-to-date real retail sales are [...]

The climate indicator for France’s Service sector noted lower by one point in March continuing a slip that began in mid-2007. The index now stands in the 77th percentile of its range of values since 2000. The climate outlook is weaker [...]

The index of help-wanted advertising reported by the Conference Board dipped last month to a reading of 21 from an upwardly revised 22 in January. The latest level was equal to the record low hit last November. During the last ten [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims fell back last week by 9,000 to 366,000 after an upwardly revised 28,000 increase during the prior week. The latest was near the highest level since September 2005. Consensus expectations had been [...]

U.S. real GDP growth during 4Q '07 was unrevised, as expected, at 0.6% (AR). Growth during the last two quarters was down sharply from an average gain during the prior two periods of 4.4%. Reported for the first time were corporate [...]

U.S. real GDP growth during 4Q '07 was unrevised, as expected, at 0.6% (AR). Growth during the last two quarters was down sharply from an average gain during the prior two periods of 4.4%. Reported for the first time were corporate [...]