Economy in Brief

The British Chamber of Commerce quarterly survey features separate readings on the manufacturing and service sectors. We feature the manufacturing and services data in the table but the chart only the manufacturing data. If I use [...]

The Consumer Price index increased 0.5% (2.2% y/y) during September following a 0.4% August gain. It was the strongest increase since January and compared to expectations for a 0.6% rise in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The [...]

Total business inventories increased 0.7% m/m (3.6% y/y) in August following an upwardly revised 0.3% m/m rise in July. Retail inventories also rose 0.7% m/m (3.7% y/y) in August after having been unchanged in July. Again, motor [...]

Total retail sales and spending at restaurants increased 1.6% (4.1% y/y) during September. That followed a 0.1% August dip and a 0.5% July rise, both of which were revised up slightly versus last month's report. A 1.5% increase had [...]

Initial unemployment insurance applications fell to 243,000 during the week ended October 7 following a decline to 258,000 in the prior week, revised from 260,000. It was the lowest level of claims since late August. Expectations had [...]

Euro area industrial production is jumping in August as its 1.4% gain is the largest one-month spurt since November last year when it gained 1.6% in one month. Manufacturing growth is up by 1.7% in August and up at a 5.9% annual rate [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index using new methodology increased 0.4% during September (2.6% y/y) after a 0.2% August gain. It was the strongest increase since April. A 0.4% rise had been expected in the Action Economics [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate in August remained at the record high of 4.0% for the third straight month. Figures prior to August were unrevised. The hiring rate slipped from its expansion [...]