Economy in Brief

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell further last week to 317,000 from 330,000 during the week prior. It was third consecutive weekly decline and to the lowest level since early last month. The prior week's level was revised [...]

Turkey's economic fortunes currently are tied to their export activities. Through Q2 2007, GDP was up 3.9% from a year ago, while exports of goods and services according to the national accounts definition were up 12.7% in 1987 [...]

Most recent German reports have shown some weakening trends especially the new industrial orders. But in September IP itself was strong even as the outlook was weakening. The strength in output is mostly in capital goods where output [...]

Nonfarm labor productivity surged 4.9% last quarter, more than double the rise during the second quarter. The increase was the quickest since the third quarter of 2003 and it lifted the y/y gain in productivity to its highest since [...]

Nonfarm labor productivity surged 4.9% last quarter, more than double the rise during the second quarter. The increase was the quickest since the third quarter of 2003 and it lifted the y/y gain in productivity to its highest since [...]

The index of German new orders for manufacturing goods fell 2.6% in September to 133.6 (2000=100) from August, but was still more than 5% above September, 2006. The index of manufacturing sales fell 1.1% in September from August but [...]

EMU-13 retail sales are up by a smaller than expected 0.3% in September. The previous month was revised higher by 0.7% but we still find EMU retail sales on a weak trend, with a hint of pick-up. French sales have been weakening while [...]

The ex-energy PPI is not showing the same acceleration as the headline and is in fact decelerating across the main countries except for the UK, an EU country. If we look at the sequential growth rates by product in the table we find [...]