Economy in Brief: 2013

The U.S. foreign trade deficit improved to $40.6 billion compared to a revised $43.0 billion in September, last month reported as $41.8 billion. A $40.1 billion deficit had been expected in the Action Economics survey. Exports jumped [...]

Job growth recovered last month. The ADP/Moody's National Employment Report indicated a 215,000 rise (1.9% y/y) in nonfarm private sector jobs during November, the firmest increase in a year. Consensus expectations were for a 175,000 [...]

Car & truck dealerships were a busy place during November. Unit sales of light motor vehicles jumped 7.7% (7.1% y/y) versus October to 16.41 million (SAAR), according to the Autodata Corporation. The latest level of sales was the [...]

PPI prices in EMU continue to be weak. Prices fell in October and they are lower year over year. The table, featuring 10 EMU members plus the UK, shows producer prices lower across the board in October except for Ireland where prices [...]

The price for a gallon of regular gasoline prices edged 2 cents lower last week to $3.27 (-3.6% y/y). That left prices down 13.5% versus the $3.78 per gallon peak reached late in February. Much of the decline reflects less driving [...]

Sales at chain stores began the holiday sales season on a weak footing. The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs reported that chain store sales fell 2.8% (+2.5% y/y) last week following a 2.6% rise during the [...]

The PMI gauges for manufacturing in Europe show a pick-up in the manufacturing sector for EMU. Manufacturing output has snaked up to a reading of 51.62 in November from 51.30 in October. Half of the eight member countries in the table [...]

The value of construction put-in-place gained 0.8% in October (5.3% y/y) following a 0.3% September slip. A 0.4% rise in building activity had been expected. The September figures, released for the first time, were contained in this [...]