Economy in Brief: December 2014

Inflation in the euro area remains contained. In fact, it remains way under the level to which it is supposed to be contained. Inflation is so low that it is out of control in a manner not appreciated and not planned for by the [...]

The overall Final Demand Producer Price Index fell 0.2% during November (1.4% y/y) and reversed an unrevised 0.2% October increase. A 0.1% slip was expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Prices excluding food & energy [...]

Import prices declined 1.5% (-2.3% y/y) during November after a 1.2% October drop, earlier reported as -1.3%. It was the largest of five straight months of decline and matched expectations for a 1.5% shortfall in the Action Economics [...]

Total business inventories rose 0.2% in October (4.8% y/y) after September's 0.3% increase, which was unrevised. Total business sales edged down 0.1% (+3.4% y/y) following their flat performance in September and August's 0.5% decline. [...]

Total business inventories rose 0.3% during September following a 0.1% August gain, revised from 0.2%. Perhaps prompting the accumulation, total business sales were unchanged (4.1% y/y) following a 0.5% August slump, revised slightly [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance during the week ended December 6 slipped to 294,000 (-17.9% y/y) after falling to an unrevised 297,000 in the prior week. It was the lowest level of claims in three weeks. The four-week moving [...]

A breadth of expansion in October: Industrial output has risen in October in seven of ten early reporting EMU members and has fallen in just two. This follows September when six of ten countries advanced. However, the drop in August [...]

Overall retail sales including food services increased 0.7% during November following a 0.5% October gain, revised from 0.3%. A 0.4% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Sales excluding autos rose 0.5% (4.3% [...]