Economy in Brief: 2013

The EMU-wide PPI is now rising over three months; but it is still falling over six months and 12 months. Despite the fact that PPI's falling faster over six months than over 12 months it is advancing over the most recent three months. [...]

The National Association of Realtors reported that during August, its Housing Affordability Composite Index fell to 156.1 from 160.7 during July. The Affordability Index reached a peak of 213.6 in January when average mortgage [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance ticked up last week to 308,000, but that was just slightly higher than the low early last month of 294,000. During the prior week ended September 21, claims were revised up to 307,000 from 305,000. [...]

The EMU services PMI rose to 52.18 in September from 50.69 in August. This marks only the second month in a row that the EMU service sector is expanding. Previously January 2012 was the last observation above 50. At this level the EMU [...]

The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that 40,289 job cuts (19.1% y/y) were announced during September. The decline from 50,462 in August reflected fewer layoffs in the industrial goods, computer, electronics, [...]

The Composite Index for the service and construction sectors from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) pulled back to 54.4 during September from an unrevised 58.6 in August. The latest figure was the lowest since June and [...]

The Composite Index for the service and construction sectors from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) pulled back to 54.4 during September from an unrevised 58.6 in August. The latest figure was the lowest since June and [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance ticked up last week to 308,000, but that was just slightly higher than the low early last month of 294,000. During the prior week ended September 21, claims were revised up to 307,000 from 305,000. [...]