Economy in Brief: 2014

Nonfarm payrolls grew 192,000 during March following a 197,000 February increase, initially reported as 175,000. The rise roughly matched expectations for a 195,000 increase in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The unemployment [...]

The services sector in the European Monetary Union edged lower in March to a level of 52.2 from a standing of 52.6 in February. The step back was small but interrupts an ongoing trend toward improvement at a time that recovery in the [...]

The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that job cut announcements declined to 34,399 (-30.2% y/y) during March, the lowest level since December. Layoffs fell m/m in the financial, food, telecommunications, [...]

The Composite Index for the service and construction sectors from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) bounced up last month to 53.1 after a sharp February decline to 51.6. The latest figure roughly matched expectations for 53.2 [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rebounded to 326,000 during the week ended March 29 from a little-revised 310,000 in the prior week. Expectations had been for 317,000 claims in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The four- [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit of $42.3 billion in February compared to $39.3 billion in January, last month reported as $39.1 billion. A $39.0 billion deficit had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The deficit's [...]

Producer and consumer price trends continue to work lower in the European Monetary Union. At the same time, growth continues to be for the most part slow and uneven. These two trends put pressure on the European Central Bank to act. [...]

Inventories in the factory sector increased 0.7% (2.5% y/y). Transportation equipment inventories gained 1.6% (9.2% y/y) while excluding transportation, inventories rose 0.4% (1.0% y/y). Furniture inventories increased 0.8% (0.3% [...]