Economy in Brief: 2018

Initial unemployment insurance claims inched higher to 218,000 during the week ended July 28 from an unrevised 217,000 during the prior week. Claims remained near the lowest level since late-1969. The Action Economics Forecast Survey [...]

The value of construction put-in-place increased 0.4% month-on-month in May (4.5% year-on-year), slightly less than the 0.5% expected by the Action Economics Forecast Survey. April's gain was cut in half to 0.9% m/m and March's drop [...]

Total sales of light vehicles fell 2.7% during July (-0.1% y/y) to 16.77 million units (SAAR), the lowest level since August of last year according to the Autodata Corporation. The decline left sales 7.7% below the 18.16 million unit [...]

At the two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee that ended today, the members voted unanimously to keep federal funds rate target unchanged in a range between 1.75% and 2.00%. This outcome is in line with expectations from [...]

The ISM composite index of activity in the factory sector eased to 58.1 during July from June's unrevised 60.2. Declines in the component readings were widespread. A reading of 59.2 had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

The value of construction put-in-place unexpectedly fell in June, declining 1.1% m/m (+6.1% y/y) following solid, upwardly revised increases in both April and May. The April rise was revised from the initially reported 0.9% m/m [...]

U.S. President Donald Trump has just been jaw-boning China again, threating 25% tariffs. China has said it would retaliate. We have seen some impact already from trade flows that boosted U.S. Q2 GDP as soybeans were pushed out the [...]

The ADP/Moody's National Employment Report indicated that private nonfarm payrolls increased 219,000 (1.9% y/y) during July following a 181,000 rise in June, revised from 177,000. A 180,000 improvement had been expected in the Action [...]