Economy in Brief: 2017

Total business inventories increased 0.7% m/m (3.6% y/y) in August following an upwardly revised 0.3% m/m rise in July. Retail inventories also rose 0.7% m/m (3.7% y/y) in August after having been unchanged in July. Again, motor [...]

Total retail sales and spending at restaurants increased 1.6% (4.1% y/y) during September. That followed a 0.1% August dip and a 0.5% July rise, both of which were revised up slightly versus last month's report. A 1.5% increase had [...]

Initial unemployment insurance applications fell to 243,000 during the week ended October 7 following a decline to 258,000 in the prior week, revised from 260,000. It was the lowest level of claims since late August. Expectations had [...]

Euro area industrial production is jumping in August as its 1.4% gain is the largest one-month spurt since November last year when it gained 1.6% in one month. Manufacturing growth is up by 1.7% in August and up at a 5.9% annual rate [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index using new methodology increased 0.4% during September (2.6% y/y) after a 0.2% August gain. It was the strongest increase since April. A 0.4% rise had been expected in the Action Economics [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate in August remained at the record high of 4.0% for the third straight month. Figures prior to August were unrevised. The hiring rate slipped from its expansion [...]

Japan's machinery and core order series both expanded sharply in August. Both series show gathering momentum as Japan continues to post better than expected growth metrics despite still lagging inflation performance. Total and core [...]

Retail gasoline prices declined last week to $2.50 per gallon (+10.2% y/y) and were lower than the $2.69 high early last month. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in gasoline pump prices. The [...]