Economy in Brief

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate declined to 3.9% in February. January's 4.0% rate was revised down from the record 4.1% reported last month. (The job openings rate is the job openings level as [...]

EMU industrial production has now fallen for three months in a row. Weakness is widespread and broad-based; it is severe in February, substantial over three months, and significant over six months. Output is falling on the quarter-to- [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance fell to 233,000 (-1.3% y/y) during the week ended April 7 from an unrevised 242,000 in the prior week. Expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey had been for 230,000 claims. The four- [...]

Import prices held steady (3.6% y/y) during March following a 0.3% February increase, revised from 0.4%. A 0.2% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. Petroleum [...]

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal government ran a $208.7 billion budget deficit during March 2018. A deficit of $187.0 billion had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During the first six [...]

The Bank of France business survey stepped down to a reading of 102.7 in March from 104.6 in February. The reading is the weakest since the survey barometer logged 101.9 in January 2017, a bit more than one year ago. Since then the [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Applications Volume Index declined 1.9% last week (-5.5% y/y), following a 3.3% fall during the prior week. Purchase loan applications were off 2.0% (+0.2% y/y), about [...]

Consumer prices eased 0.1% (+2.4% y/y) during March following a 0.2% February increase. It was the first decline in the CPI since May 2017. No change was expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The CPI excluding food & [...]