Economy in Brief: April 2018

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) indicated that its Small Business Optimism Index for March fell 2.7% to 104.7 (unchanged from a year ago). The level of optimism hit a 35-year high in February and the March [...]

German exports and imports each fell in February, resulting in the smallest trade surplus since January 2017. However, both 2016 and 2017 produced a low deficit reading in either January or February so the decline has a ring of [...]

The Industrial Materials Price Index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) declined 0.9% during the last four weeks. During the last year, however, prices rose 6.1%, and they were up by one-third [...]

Consumer credit outstanding increased $10.61 billion (5.1% y/y) during February following a $15.59 billion January rise, revised from $13.89 billion. It was the weakest monthly increase since September. A $15.0 billion rise had been [...]

The job market cooled off last month. Nonfarm payrolls rose 103,000 (1.6% y/y) during March following a 326,000 February gain and a 176,000 January increase. Together these two figures were revised down by 50,000. A 195,000 increase [...]

Germany’s industrial production fell by 1.6% in February as bad weather may have taken a toll on output. Construction output fell by 7.2% in February. The March construction PMI for Germany fell for the first time since 2015. [...]

The job market cooled off last month. Nonfarm payrolls rose 103,000 (1.6% y/y) during March following a 326,000 February gain and a 176,000 January increase. Together these two figures were revised down by 50,000. A 195,000 increase [...]

The global PMIs have largely weakened in March. Much of this is on the back of weakening services sectors (see Chart). Of the 14 countries listed in the table (excludes EMU), all but one, India, weaken in March compared to February. [...]