Economy in Brief: 2017

The value of construction put-in-place increased 1.4% (2.9% y/y) during October following an unrevised 0.3% September rise. A 0.5% gain in activity had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Private sector building [...]

The ISM manufacturing sector composite index slipped to 58.2 during November from 58.7 in October. Despite recent declines, the index has indicated expansion in factory sector activity for fifteen straight months. A level of 58.4 had [...]

Manufacturing PMIs has been making strong gains on a rather widespread basis. But there is no denying that the epicenter of the rebound has been in the West. The United States and the EMU have shown particularly long-lived and strong [...]

The manufacturing PMI slipped again in November, dropping for three months in a row. It extends a broader continuing a string of slippages. Manufacturing has been eroding as its six-month average is below its 12-month average and its [...]

Conditions for greater conflict may be coming to a head as the overall EMU HICP gained 0.4% in November as Germany's own HICP rose by 0.3%. In the EMU, the HICP is only up by 1.5% over 12 months but the six-month (annualized) pace is [...]

The Chicago Purchasing Managers Business Barometer for November declined to 63.9 from 66.2 in October. It was at the lowest level in three months, yet up from 57.2 one year ago. A decline to 63.0 had been expected in the Action [...]

Initial unemployment insurance applications eased to 238,000 (-10.2% y/y) in the week ended November 25 from 240,000 in the prior week revised from 239,000. Expectations had been for 241,000 claims in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

Personal income rose 0.4% (3.4% y/y) during October following an unrevised 0.4% September increase. These gains are the largest since February and compared to a 0.3% rise expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The Commerce [...]