Economy in Brief: 2018

Borrowing in U.S. financial markets rose markedly in Q1 2018, according to the Federal Reserve's Financial Accounts data, reaching $4,056 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, almost double the Q4 2017 amount, $2,202 billion. [...]

German new orders fell by 2.5% in April marking their fourth straight monthly drop, a highly unusual development. Domestic orders are down in two of the last three months as are foreign orders. Orders growth rates steadily decelerate [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance eased to 222,000 during the week ended June 1 from 223,000 during the prior week, revised from 221,000. Expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey were for 220,000 claims. The four- [...]

Output per hour in the nonfarm business sector was revised down to a 0.4% gain at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in Q1'18 (1.3% year-on-year), from the previously reported 0.7% increase. In Q4'17 productivity grew at an unrevised [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance eased to 222,000 during the week ended June 1 from 223,000 during the prior week, revised from 221,000. Expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey were for 220,000 claims. The four- [...]

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services fell to $48.20 billion during April from $47.21 billion during March, revised from $48.96 billion. It was the smallest deficit since September. A $49.0 billion April deficit had been [...]

The trend for Spain’s industrial output shows ongoing increases since 2014. The headline index for industrial production, the mining sector and the index for all manufacturing show secular deterioration in their respective growth [...]

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services fell to $46.20 billion during April from $47.21 billion during March, revised from $48.96 billion. It was the smallest deficit since September. A $49.0 billion April deficit had been [...]