Economy in Brief: 2019

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported that its Small Business Optimism Index increased to 105.0 during May, up for the fourth straight month. It was the highest reading since October. The index gained 1.4% [...]

U.S. retail gasoline prices continued to fall in the week ended June 10, declining seven cents to $2.73 per gallon (-6.1% y/y) for their fifth consecutive weekly decline. Haver Analytics calculates factors that adjust for the seasonal [...]

OECD LEIS Show Further Weakening. The Peril of Trade War Meets the Peril of No Trade War OECD LEIS weakened again this month and they continue to point to a broad slowdown. The OECD leading indicators decline on all broad categories [...]

The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.1% during May (1.8% y/y) following a 0.2% April increase. A 0.2% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Producer prices excluding food & energy increased an [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate held at 4.7% during April, unchanged m/m but up from 4.6% twelve months earlier. It remained on the expansion's rising trend. The job openings rate is the job [...]

The labor market weakened during May. Nonfarm payrolls increased 75,000 (1.5% y/y) following a 224,000 April rise, revised from 263,000. The March increase also was revised lower to 153,000 from 189,000. The May rise in payrolls fell [...]

Consumer credit outstanding increased $10.27 billion (5.0% y/y) during March........... The consumer credit data are available in Haver's USECON database. The Action Economics figures are contained in the AS1REPNA database. Consumer [...]

Wholesale inventories increased 0.8% in April (7.6% year-over-year), following no change in March (revised up from a 0.1% decline). The Informa Global Markets Survey anticipated a 0.7% rise. Wholesale inventory swings can have a [...]