Economy in Brief: August 2015

Overall industrial output increased 0.6% during July (1.3% y/y) following a revised 0.1% uptick, last month reported as 0.3%. Earlier figures were revised last month to show slower improvement in output. A 0.3% rise in production had [...]

In the European Monetary Union, growth continues to be sluggish. Overall EMU-18 growth slipped to 1.3% (annualized) in Q2 from 1.5% in Q1. The year-over-year growth rates, however, have progressed, rising to 1.2% in Q2 from 1% in Q1, [...]

The overall Final Demand Producer Price Index increased 0.2% during July (-0.8% y/y) following an unrevised 0.4% June rise. A 0.1% uptick was expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Prices excluding food & energy also were [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 274,000 during the week ended August 8 following 269,000 claims during the week prior, earlier reported as 270,000. The four-week moving average fell to 266,250, a new low for the [...]

Total business inventories expanded 0.8% in June (3.0% y/y) after May's more moderate 0.3% increase, which was unrevised. The resulting 3-month growth climbed to 6.0% (AR) from May's 3.3%. This is less favorable than it might seem on [...]

Import prices moved 0.9% lower during July (-10.4% y/y) following no change during June, revised from -0.1%. The Action Economics Forecast Survey anticipated a 1.0% July decline. Prices of petroleum imports fell 5.9% (-43.4% y/y) [...]

Machinery orders in Japan rose by a robust 5% in June. But their three-month growth is still -10.1% at an annualized rate and year-over-year orders are lower by 3.2%. The more closely-watched core orders fell by 7.9% in June, falling [...]

Overall retail sales including food services & drinking places during July increased 0.6% (2.9% y/y). The rise followed upwardly-revised readings of no change and 1.2% in June and May, earlier reported as a 0.3% decline and a 1.0% [...]