Economy in Brief: July 2009

The U.S. foreign trade deficit reached its lowest level since 1999 as the recession lowered imports enough to offset the rise in oil prices. The deficit of $26.0B shrank from the revised April level of $28.8B. (Data revisions extend [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit reached its lowest level since 1999 as the recession lowered imports enough to offset the rise in oil prices. The deficit of $26.0B shrank from the revised April level of $28.8B. (Data revisions extend [...]

The UK trade balance shrank to 6.26bln sterling in May from 7.14bln in April. Exports edged lower, while imports fell by 4% in May. Export and import trends do not show very dramatic signs of change. Exports are declining by a bit [...]

The consumer continued to deleverage this spring. The Federal Reserve reported late yesterday that consumer credit outstanding during May fell for the fourth straight month and for the eighth month since last summer. The $3.3B decline [...]

The current recession started over eighteen months ago and roughly eight billion dollars are being paid each month in unemployment benefits under state programs. For the jobless who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, recent [...]

The labor market may have given another sign of improvement in the U.S. economy. Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell a surprisingly sharp 52,000 last week to 565,000 after a slightly revised 13,000 decline during the prior [...]

The current recession started over eighteen months ago and roughly eight billion dollars are being paid each month in unemployment benefits under state programs. For the jobless who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, recent [...]

German industrial production rose by 3.7% in May from April. It has risen in two of the last three-months. IP is accelerating, rising at a 5.4% annual rate over three-months compared to a rate of minus 22.2% over six-months and minus [...]