Economy in Brief

The Empire State Manufacturing Index of General Business Conditions declined to 15.8 during April after jumping to 22.5 in March. Expectations had been for 18.6 in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These data, reported by the [...]

The series for French retail sales is volatile and hard to pin down. Nonetheless, consumer spending is having an upswing with three-month sales volume up at a 15% annual rate. Over three months, all retail components are rising. Five [...]

Total business inventories increased 0.6% (4.0% year-on-year) during February, the third consecutive monthly gain of this magnitude. Total business sales rose 0.4% (+5.8% y/y), following a 0.3% decline in January. The inventory-to- [...]

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo slipped to 69 during April from an unrevised 70 in March. It was the lowest figure since November. The reading compared to expectations for [...]

Total retail sales increased 0.6% (4.5% y/y) during March following an unrevised 0.1% slip in February. The gain was the first in four months. A 0.4% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Excluding motor [...]

The euro area trade surplus grew again in February as trade flows contracted and imports fell faster than exports. The trade surplus rose to 20.988 billion euros in February from 20.214 billion euros in January. The EMU trade balance [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate declined to 3.9% in February. January's 4.0% rate was revised down from the record 4.1% reported last month. (The job openings rate is the job openings level as [...]

EMU industrial production has now fallen for three months in a row. Weakness is widespread and broad-based; it is severe in February, substantial over three months, and significant over six months. Output is falling on the quarter-to- [...]