Economy in Brief: 2009

S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Composite Index of twenty metro-markets slipped just 0.9% during April versus March. The latest monthly decline was the smallest since late 2007; however, it still left prices 18.1% lower during the last [...]

The European Commission's Business Climate Indicator for the Euro Area is designed to deliver a clear and early assessment of the cyclical situation. The extent that it has done so in the past can be seen in the first chart that shows [...]

The National Activity Index published by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank remained roughly unchanged during May versus April. Nevertheless, the index level of -2.30 was near its the highest level since October of last year. The latest [...]

The National Activity Index published by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank remained roughly unchanged during May versus April. Nevertheless, the index level of -2.30 was near its the highest level since October of last year. The latest [...]

Though the overall economy has yet to make a convincing turn towards the better, the University of Michigan's June reading of consumer sentiment suggests a coming improvement in retail spending. The full-month index level rose [...]

Consumer confidence in France has risen in three of the last for months with one month marking a pause in the rising trend. French confidence hit its low point in July of 2008 at a level of -48. Since then although the recession has [...]

The economic recession continued to damp growth in wages last month, but "automatic stabilizers" kicked in to pick the slack. The result was a 1.4% jump in May personal income which was the largest monthly increase in a year. The rise [...]

The economic recession continued to damp growth in wages last month, but "automatic stabilizers" kicked in to pick the slack. The result was a 1.4% jump in May personal income which was the largest monthly increase in a year. The rise [...]