Economy in Brief

Japan's economy watchers index is mixed in December. The current index improved slightly while the future index decayed slightly. More broadly, the current index declines over three months, over six months and 12 months. The drop in [...]

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported that its Small Business Optimism Index declined 1.9% (-1.6% y/y) to 102.7 during December and mostly reversed its November rise. The reading was 5.6% below the high in [...]

The Consumer Price Index increased 0.2% (2.3% y/y) during December following a 0.3% November rise and a 0.4% October gain. A 0.3% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The CPI excluding food & energy [...]

Retail gasoline prices inched down to $2.57 per gallon (14.4% y/y) in the week ended January 13 from $2.58 per gallon in the previous week. Last week's price equaled the average for all of 2019. Typically, gasoline prices weaken this [...]

The abrupt drop in average hourly earnings in December to a 3% gain, 50 basis points below the run-rate of the past year, is as much of a surprise as it is a puzzle. How can the wage data show a one-month plunge in earnings growth [...]

The abrupt drop in average hourly earnings in December to a 3% gain, 50 basis points below the run-rate of the past year, is as much of a surprise as it is a puzzle. How can the wage data show a one-month plunge in earnings growth [...]

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal government ran a $13.27 billion budget deficit during December compared to a $13.54 billion deficit twelve months earlier. A $14.3 billion deficit had been expected in the Action [...]