Economy in Brief: 2018

German industrial production edged down 0.1% in January, marking the second monthly drop in a row. However, none of the sector components have dropped twice in a row and the three-month growth rate for total IP is at a 9.1% annual [...]

Wholesale trade inventories increased 0.8% during January (5.0% y/y) following a 0.7% December gain, revised from 0.4%. In the advance report issued on February 27, wholesale inventories were reported up 1.0% m/m in January. Durable [...]

The job market continues to improve. Nonfarm payrolls rose 313,000 (1.6% y/y) during February, the strongest monthly increase since July 2016. It followed a 239,000 January gain and a 175,000 December rise. Together these two figures [...]

The job market continues to improve. Nonfarm payrolls rose 313,000 (1.6% y/y) during February, the strongest monthly increase since July 2016. It followed a 239,000 January gain and a 175,000 December rise. Together these two figures [...]

Borrowing in U.S. financial markets slowed in Q4 2017, according to the Federal Reserve's Financial Accounts data, which show debt issuance of $2,011 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. This is just over half of the Q3 [...]

German orders are still growing rapidly after their sharp plunge in January. Year-on-year growth is 8.3% overall, 9.5% for foreign orders and 6.6% for domestic orders. But momentum has been sharply reduced with three-month and six- [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Applications Volume Index gained 0.3% last week (-5.3% y/y) following a 2.7% increase during the prior week. Purchase loan applications slipped 0.5% (+1.4% y/y) [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims increased to 231,000 (-7.2% y/y) during the week ended March 3. Claims during the prior week were unrevised at 210,000, the lowest level since December 1969. Expectations in the Action Economics [...]