Economy in Brief

Manufacturers' orders declined 0.6% (+4.1% y/y) during November following an unrevised 2.1% October fall. The Action Economics Forecast survey looked for a 0.4% rise. Durable goods orders rebounded 0.7% m/m (5.3% y/y) after a 2.1% [...]

Sales of light vehicles fell 4.8% (-2.8% y/y) during January to 16.70 million units (SAAR), the lowest level since August 2017. A 7.9% decline (-1.9% y/y) in light truck sales to 11.24 million units led the decline after a 0.7% gain [...]

Only six of the 17 manufacturing PMI readings in the table did not weaken in January, reflecting a broad tendency of manufacturing conditions to ease in the month. In January, five countries saw improvement and one was unchanged. [...]

After having collapsed 4.5 points in December to 54.3 (the lowest reading since December 2016), the ISM manufacturing index rebounded to 56.6 in January. Expectations were for a further decline to 54.1. Still, the January reading [...]

The job market remains firm. Nonfarm payrolls increased 304,000 (1.9% y/y) during January, but December's gain was revised downward to 222,000 from 312,000 reported last month. November's increase was revised up slightly to 196,000 [...]

Wholesale inventories increased 0.3% month-on-month (6.5% year-over-year) during November, following an upwardly revised 0.9% gain in October. The release of this data was delayed by the government shutdown. Wholesale sales declined [...]

In a delayed release of November data, the value of construction put-in-place rose a greater than expected 0.8% month-on-month (3.4% year-on-year). The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a 0.3% gain. October's previously- [...]

The job market remains firm. Nonfarm payrolls increased 304,000 (1.9% y/y) during January, but December's gain was revised downward to 222,000 from 312,000 reported last month. November's increase was revised up slightly to 196,000 [...]