Economy in Brief

Chain store sales slipped 0.4% last week, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)-UBS survey. The decline, however, followed several heady gains during April. Therefore, the opening level of May sales was [...]

Small business optimism in April recovered most of the prior month's decline with a 2.1% rise, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). During the last ten years there has been a 70% correlation between the [...]

Small business optimism in April recovered most of the prior month's decline with a 2.1% rise, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). During the last ten years there has been a 70% correlation between the [...]

TheDirectorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission released its Spring 2006 Economic Forecasts. The complete document can be found here. Forecasts for 2006 and 2007 are given for the twenty-five [...]

The disappointing 138,000 rise in nonfarm payrolls during April generated questions. Was it typical of a series sometimes buffeted by aberrant forces, both real & statistical, or was there a fundamental pressure newly exposed? The [...]

The disappointing 138,000 rise in nonfarm payrolls during April generated questions. Was it typical of a series sometimes buffeted by aberrant forces, both real & statistical, or was there a fundamental pressure newly exposed? The [...]

Since 2003, the European Central Bank (ECB) has conducted a bank officers' lending survey similar to the Federal Reserve's "Senior Loan Officer Survey", asking questions about lending policies and credit demand experienced by banks. [...]

Nonfarm payrolls rose just 138,000 last month and the March increase was revised down to 200,000. The April gain fell short of Consensus expectations for a 200,000 rise. Private sector jobs were up 131,000, thus undershooting the new [...]