Economy in Brief

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services widened further to $54.02 billion in September from a slightly upwardly revised $53.31 billion in August. The international trade data as well as oil prices can be found in Haver’s USECON [...]

Manufacturers' orders increased 0.7% m/m (7.9% y/y) in September, on top of an upwardly revised 2.6% m/m jump in August...... The factory sector figures are available in Haver's USECON database. The Action Economics Forecasts survey [...]

PREVIOUS>>>>Output per hour in the nonfarm business sector grew 2.2% (SAAR, 1.3% y/y) in Q3'18 following a 3.0% gain in Q2. Unit labor costs rose 1.2% (1.5% y/y) last quarter and reversed a 1.0% Q2 decline............ The productivity [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased to 234,000 (-2.1% y/y) during the week ended November 24 ...... Continuing claims for unemployment insurance rose 50,000 to 1.710 million (-12.1% y/y) in the week ending November 17 [...]

Manufacturers' orders fell 2.1% (+6.9% y/y) during October following a 0.2% September rise, revised from 0.7%. The Action Economics Forecast survey had looked for a 2.0% decline. Durable goods orders fell 4.3% m/m (+7.8% y/y), revised [...]

The Composite Index of Nonmanufacturing Sector Activity from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) inched up to 60.7 during November from 60.3 in October. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a decline to 59.2. The ISM [...]

Output per hour in the nonfarm business sector was revised up to a 2.3% gain at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in Q3'18 (1.3% year-over-year), from the previously reported 2.2% increase. In Q2 productivity growth remained at a 3.0% [...]

The ADP National Employment Report indicated that private nonfarm payrolls increased 179,000 during November following a 225,000 October rise, revised from 227,000. Expectations had been for a 195,000 gain in the Action Economics [...]