Economy in Brief: August 2012

Indonesia is one of the brighter spots among the emerging economies of the far East. The year to year increase in GDP was 6.39% in the second quarter, up from 6.31% in the first quarter and second only to growth in China. The first [...]

Nonfarm payrolls grew an improved 163,000 last month following a 64,000 June rise, revised from 80,000. A 100,000 increase was expected. Improved job growth in manufacturing and private services accounted for the gain. The [...]

The Composite Index for the service and construction sectors from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) ticked up to 52.6 in July following sharp declines in three of the prior four months. The figure remained near the lowest in [...]

Nonfarm payrolls grew an improved 163,000 last month following a 64,000 June rise, revised from 80,000. A 100,000 increase was expected. Improved job growth in manufacturing and private services accounted for the gain. The [...]

Orders in the manufacturing sector fell 0.5% in June and retraced their May increase. Expectations were for a 0.3% increase. Durable goods orders increased 1.3%, revised from last week's advance report of a 1.6% rise. Nondurable goods [...]

The outplacement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that 36,855 job cuts were announced last month. Job cut announcements fell in the education, energy, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, apparel, computer, construction, [...]

Car buyers remain motivated to do just that. Reported late yesterday, unit sales of light motor vehicles during July slipped just 2.0% m/m to 14.09M (SAAR) according to Autodata Corporation. The decline followed a 3.0% June gain and [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims matched expectations and rose to 365,000 during the week ended July 28 from 357,000 during the prior week, revised from 353,000. The four-week moving average of claims fell to 365,500, its lowest [...]