Economy in Brief: February 2017

The value of construction put-in-place slipped 0.2% during December following an unrevised 0.9% November increase. Construction was up 4.2% y/y following stronger growth from 2012 through 2015. The latest decline disappointed [...]

The ISM composite index of factory sector activity increased to 56.0 during January from 54.5 in December, initially reported as 54.7. It was highest reading since November 2014. Expectations called for 55.0 in the Action Economics [...]

The statistical variation among the values of the countries that have reported their manufacturing indices has widened again this month. The dispersion has been greater than it is in January only 6% of the time since 1991. The most [...]

The ADP/Moody's National Employment Report indicated that private nonfarm payroll employment increased 246,000 (1.8% y/y) during January following a 151,000 December gain, revised from 153,000. The increase compared to expectations [...]