Economy in Brief: October 2011

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) that the August job openings rate slipped m/m to 2.3%. The latest reading remained improved versus the recession low of 1.6%. The job openings [...]

The index of total mortgage applications rose 1.3% last week to 744.2 (March 16, 1990 = 100). Applications have risen more-than 80% since their early-year low. The jump has come as lower interest rates spurred refinancing. [...]

Last week the pump price for a gallon of regular gasoline slipped one penny to $3.42. That slip followed sharp declines since late-May that have amounted to fifty-four cents. Retail prices usually start to ease this time of year with [...]

IP trends in the EMU areas have been losing momentum for some time. Their peak rates of growth date back to early 2010. Since then the pace of erosion has been uneven across countries and that continues to be the case. But as IP [...]

Japan's Economic and Social Research Institute Consumer Confidence Survey shows a slight improvement in consumer confidence in September. The index, a diffusion index, was 38.5% a rise of 1.0 percentage point from July and the highest [...]

For chain stores, this month's sales began no better than they finished September. Chain store sales slipped 0.1% last week and reversed the prior week's uptick. As a result, sales began October 0.4% below the September average which [...]

The National Federation of Independent Business indicated that its September index of small business optimism ticked up to 88.9 from an unrevised 88.1 in August. Nevertheless, it remained near the lowest level since last July. [...]

The financial turmoil in the Euro Area is taking its toll on the real economy. Earlier this month it was reported that German Industrial Production declined 1.0% in August from July. Since then a number of other countries from the [...]