Economy in Brief: October 2015

The U.S. Treasury Department reported a $438.9 billion budget deficit during FY2015, narrower than the $483.4 billion deficit in FY2014. It was the smallest deficit since FY2007. As a percent of GDP, the roughly 2.5% was the least [...]

Car registrations in Europe edged lower month-to-month but continue to show solid and strong gains year-over-year across all the countries and aggregates listed in the table. European registrations are up by a strong 9.8% year-on- [...]

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index for October remained negative for the second straight month. At -4.5, the latest figure was barely above September's -6.0 and [...]

The Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions remained negative during October for the third straight month and was nearly the weakest reading since the recession. The latest reading of -11.36 compared to an unrevised [...]

Japan's tertiary index (services sector) in August edged only slightly higher. The industry index has fallen to 96.3 from 97.5. And the industrial production index for August fell by 1.2%, more than the initial estimate of -0.5%. [...]

The job market continues to strengthen. Initial claims for unemployment insurance declined to 255,000 (-6.8% y/y) during the week ended October 10 from a little-revised 262,000 during the prior week. The figure matched the lowest [...]

The Consumer Price Index declined 0.2% during September (-0.0% y/y) and followed a 0.1% August dip. Pricing power elsewhere, however, strengthened. Prices excluding food & energy increased 0.2% (1.9% y/y) following two months of 0.1% [...]

Gasoline prices at the pump inched up last week to $2.34 per gallon (-27.1% y/y) but remained below $2.84 in mid-June. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in pump prices. The seasonally adjusted [...]