Economy in Brief

Such a simple concept: the weather. But what an effect it can have, on economic activity and other aspects of life. The National Climatic Data Center, an office in the Commerce Department, maintains weather data for the US and many [...]

The November Business Activity Index for the non-manufacturing sector rose to 61.3, adding 1.5 points to the 3.1 point gain in October, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Consensus expectations had been for a modest [...]

In November, non-farm payrolls rose just 112,000 following an October rise of 303,000 that was revised down from the initial report of a 337,000 gain. Consensus expectations had been for a 200,000 gain. Much of last month's weakness [...]

In November, non-farm payrolls rose just 112,000 following an October rise of 303,000 that was revised down from the initial report of a 337,000 gain. Consensus expectations had been for a 200,000 gain. Much of last month's weakness [...]

The unemployment rate in Germany rose to 10.8% in November, the highest in almost six years, since December 1998. The number of people unemployed rose 7,000 in the month, an increase of 2.2% from November a year ago. At the same time, [...]

Factory orders rose 0.5% last month following an upwardly revised unchanged reading for September. The recovery was due to a 2.4% gain in nondurable orders (which equal shipments) that primarily reflected an 8.3% jump in shipments [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance unexpectedly jumped 25,000 to 349,000 during Thanksgiving week. Holiday periods are notable for seasonal adjustment difficulties. Not seasonally adjusted, claims fell by 36,300. The Consensus [...]

Unit sales of light vehicles fell another 3.4% m/m last month on top of the 3.1% decline in October to a 16.39M selling rate. Consensus expectations had been for sales of 16.6M. Sales of light trucks again were notably weak, falling [...]