Economy in Brief: 2018

Unemployment rates have been falling in the EMU. In May, the overall rate has stuck at 8.4%, its lowest mark since December 2008. In the last cycle, the unemployment rate low for the EMU was 7.3%, which it last reached in March 2008. [...]

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 [...]

PREVIOUS DATA Total sales of light vehicles declined 1.5% during May (+0.7% y/y) to 16.91 million units (SAAR)............. U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database. Light Weight Vehicle Sales (SAAR, Million [...]

The Chicago Purchasing Managers Business Barometer increased to 64.1 during June from May's unrevised 62.7. It was the highest level since January, continuing its sharply rising trend during the last three years. The Action Economics [...]

For the second time in approximately one year, EMU area and large country inflation rates (HICP definition; year-over-year) are pushing up to, through, or over the key 2% mark (the ECB’s inflation objective is for inflation ‘a little [...]

Personal consumption expenditures improved 0.2% (4.6% y/y) during May following a 0.5% April increase, revised from 0.6%. It was the weakest rise since a slight decline in February. A 0.4% gain had been expected in the Action [...]

U.S. economic growth in Q1'18 moderated slightly more than earlier estimates. Real gross domestic product grew at a 2.0% annual rate, revised from 2.2% reported last month and 2.3% estimated initially. The rise followed 2.9% growth [...]

The European Commission indexes of economic activity for June continued to erode at the pace of oxidation. In three months the headline index has lost only 0.5 points, but it has declined in each month. Only two of the five sector [...]