Economy in Brief: 2016

The Business Conditions Survey, published by the National Association for Business Economics, showed an easing in U.S. unit demand last quarter. The diffusion index reading (rising minus falling) fell to 22.0 from 25.5. While these [...]

The early flash PMI readings for the EMU, Germany and France show upside surprises mainly on the gains in the manufacturing indices in October. Perspective on manufacturing The EMU, German and French manufacturing sectors advanced and [...]

The National Activity Index from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago increased to -0.14 during September from -0.72 in August, revised from -0.55. The three-month moving average deteriorated to -0.21, and remained in the narrow band [...]

The decline in the overall U.S. unemployment rate has stabilized this year around 4.9% versus 5.3% during 2015. It was half its late-2009 peak, and varied greatly amongst individual states. In today's state labor market report for [...]

Why do things continue to go off-track in the global economy? It is very simple to understand really and one of the main reasons is embodied in the chart and the table. First, let me describe what you are looking at. The chart shows [...]

The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators rebounded 0.2% (1.5% y/y) during September following an unrevised 0.2% decline. The increase matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The six- [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 260,000 during the week ended October 15 following 247,000 during the prior week, revised from 246,000. The four-week moving average of claims rose to 251,750, near the lowest level [...]

Sales of existing homes increased 3.2% (0.6% y/y) in September to 5.470 million units (AR) following a 1.5% decline to 5.300 million in August, revised from 5.330 million. Expectations had been for 5.32 million sales in the Action [...]