Economy in Brief

After jumping 37,000 in the April 20 week, initial claims for unemployment insurance held steady at 230,000 (8.0% year-on-year) during the week ended April 27. The April 20 number was unrevised. The Action Economics Forecast Survey [...]

Manufacturers' orders surged 1.9% (2.0% y/y) during March following a 0.3% February decline, revised from -0.5%. A 1.3% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Orders for durable goods rose 2.6% (2.1% y/y), [...]

Output per hour in the nonfarm business sector grew 3.6% (SAAR) during Q1'19 following a 1.3% gain in Q4'18, revised from 1.9%. It was the strongest increase since Q3'14. During the last four quarters, productivity growth picked up to [...]

After jumping 37,000 in the April 20 week, initial claims for unemployment insurance held steady at 230,000 (8.0% year-on-year) during the week ended April 27. The April 20 number was unrevised. The Action Economics Forecast Survey [...]

In the four quarters ended Q1:2019, the chain-price index for personal consumption expenditures increased 1.4%, down from 1.9% in the four quarters ended Q4:2018. This was the slowest increase since 1.0% in the four quarters ended [...]

The value of construction put-in-place increased 1.0% (1.1% y/y) during February.......... The construction spending figures, some of which date back to 1946, are in Haver's USECON database. The expectations reading can be found in [...]

The motor vehicle weakened significantly last month. The Autodata Corporation reported that sales of light vehicles during April declined 6.1% (-4.3% y/y) to 16.39 million units (SAAR). It reversed a 5.3% March increase and left sales [...]

The Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously at today's meeting to leave the federal funds rate target in a range between 2.25% and 2.50%. The decision was expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The Fed stated that [...]