Economy in Brief: March 2008

The climate indicator for France’s Service sector noted lower by one point in March continuing a slip that began in mid-2007. The index now stands in the 77th percentile of its range of values since 2000. The climate outlook is weaker [...]

The index of help-wanted advertising reported by the Conference Board dipped last month to a reading of 21 from an upwardly revised 22 in January. The latest level was equal to the record low hit last November. During the last ten [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims fell back last week by 9,000 to 366,000 after an upwardly revised 28,000 increase during the prior week. The latest was near the highest level since September 2005. Consensus expectations had been [...]

U.S. real GDP growth during 4Q '07 was unrevised, as expected, at 0.6% (AR). Growth during the last two quarters was down sharply from an average gain during the prior two periods of 4.4%. Reported for the first time were corporate [...]

U.S. real GDP growth during 4Q '07 was unrevised, as expected, at 0.6% (AR). Growth during the last two quarters was down sharply from an average gain during the prior two periods of 4.4%. Reported for the first time were corporate [...]

The chart on the left shows that price trends continue to press higher in France but the production trend is sharply lower. For total industry we find similar results to those in manufacturing. The recent trend of production at -11 is [...]

Italy’s Business confidence gauge from ISAE edged lower in March to 89 from 89.6 in February. The pace of its decline, however, seems to have slowed (see the blue line in accompanying chart). Overall confidence is not in terrible [...]

The IFO headline index rose to 104.08 in March from 103.1 in February. This rise marks the third straight increase from a low of 103 in December 2007. It comes at a time that the euro is moving relentlessly higher and policymakers are [...]