Economy in Brief: 2019

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo fell to 64 during June and reversed most of its May improvement. The index remained below the expansion high of 74 reached in December of [...]

Euro Area labor costs rise faster - Eurozone labor costs increased at a slightly faster pace in the first quarter, Eurostat reported Monday. Hourly labor costs grew 2.4 percent year-on-year, slightly faster than the 2.3 percent [...]

The Empire State Manufacturing Index of General Business Conditions declined sharply to -8.6 during June, the first negative index level since October 2016. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a June reading of 10.5. The [...]

The industrial sector exhibited life last month. Industrial production increased 0.4% (2.0% y/y) during May and recouped a 0.4% April decline, revised from -0.5%. Output has declined 0.9% since December. A 0.2% increase had been [...]

Total business inventories increased 0.5% (5.3% year-on-year) during April, after being unchanged in March (unrevised). Total business sales decreased 0.2% (+2.8% y/y) following a 1.3% gain (revised down from 1.6%). The inventory-to- [...]

Italy had a long legacy as a high-inflation weak-currency country when EMU was formed. There were always questions about how the high-inflation countries would evolve. How quickly would they adapt... would they adapt? Wrapping them up [...]

Total retail sales increased 0.5% (3.2% y/y) during May following a 0.3% April increase, revised from a 0.2% slip reported initially. A 0.6% gain had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Retail sales excluding motor [...]

Import prices fell 0.3% (-1.5% y/y) during May following a 0.1% April improvement, revised from 0.2%. The decline matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These figures are not seasonally adjusted and do not [...]