Economy in Brief

• Gasoline prices slip marginally. • Crude oil prices ease, then break sharply lower. • Natural gas prices decline sharply. Regular gasoline prices slipped to $2.21 per gallon (-13.3% y/y) in the week ended September 7 after rising to [...]

• Nonrevolving borrowing usage surges. • Charge card balances ease further. Consumers continue to buy more using credit. Consumer credit outstanding increased $12.2 billion during July (0.5% y/y) following an $11.4 billion June [...]

Setting aside the numbers that are so much more precise, a look at the graphics tells the clear story of the economy watchers index and its gauge of the future. Japan was hit hard by the virus; after a plunge the economy watchers [...]

• NFIB Small Business Optimism Index retraces most of July's decline. • Employment & pricing conditions improve. • Economy & sales readings soften. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index [...]

• Strong job gains continue after coronavirus shutdowns ebb. • Census hiring boosts total. • Earnings growth improves. • Jobless rate declines to five-month low. Labor market healing is continuing. Nonfarm payroll employment increased [...]

German orders rose by 2.8% in July but are still lower over 12 months by 7.1%. This is a sharp slowing from the 28.8% one-month jump orders made in June. Both foreign and domestic orders slowed in July. Foreign orders rose by a still- [...]

• Strong job gains continue after coronavirus shutdowns ebb. • Earnings growth improves. • Jobless rate declines to five-month low. Labor market healing is continuing. Nonfarm payroll employment increased 1.371 million in August [...]

• Though easing slightly, service sector activity remains firm. • Component activity is mixed. • Pricing power strengthens. The Composite Index of Services Activity from the Institute for Supply Management fell to 56.9 during August [...]