December 10th, 2012
- Total non-farm payroll employment rose 146 thousand to 133.852 million in November, following an increase of 138 thousand in the previous month.
- The unemployment rate decreased to 7.7%, from 7.9% in the previous month.
- The average workweek of production and non-supervisory employees increased 0.1 to 33.7 hours. Average hourly earnings increased by 3 cents to $19.84.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 25 thousand to 370 thousand in the week ending December 1.
- Third quarter productivity increased 2.9% (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the non-farm business sector, following a 1.9% increase as in the previous quarter.
- Sales of domestic cars increased 8.1% in November, while total light vehicle sales increased 8.7%. Total sales were 15.477 million units in November, compared to 13.510 million in November of 2011.
- New orders for manufactured goods increased 0.8% in October, while shipments increased 0.4%.
- October construction spending increased 1.4%. Private construction increased 1.6%, while public construction increased 0.8%.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates little changed and remaining near record lows. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.34% for the week ending December 6, up from last week when it averaged 3.32%.
- Mortgage applications increased 4.5% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending November 30, 2012.
- The housing Affordability Index rose 2.8 points to 198.5 in October, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- Domestic non-financial debt rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.4% in the third quarter of 2012, following an increase of 5.1% in the previous quarter. Growth of federal government debt held by the public was 6.2%.
- October consumer credit outstanding increased at an annual rate of 6.2%.
- Delinquency rates were generally lower in the third quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
- The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated that the manufacturing sector contracted in November, following two months of modest expansion.
- In November, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing survey results indicated growth in the non-manufacturing business activity for the 35th consecutive month.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, plunged to 74.5 in early December, the lowest level since August.
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December 3rd, 2012
- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.7% in the third quarter of 2012, after increasing at 1.3% in the previous quarter. In the advance estimate, released a month ago, the increase in real GDP was 2.0%. The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 1.4% in the third quarter, compared to an increase of 0.7% in the previous quarter.
- Corporate profits from current production increased $67.3 billion in the third quarter, after a decrease of $21.8 billion in the previous quarter.
- Personal income increased less than 0.1%, in October, while personal consumption expenditures decreased 0.2%. The price index for personal consumption expenditures rose 0.1% in October.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods increased less than 0.1% in October, while shipments decreased 0.6%.
- October new home sales decreased 0.3% to an annualized rate of 368 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $237.7 thousand, 5.7% above the October 2011 figure.
- U.S. House prices rose 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from August to September, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly House Price Index. For the 12 months ending in September, U.S. prices rose 4.4%.
- The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index posted annual increases of 2.1% and 3.0% in September, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively.
- The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, increased 5.2% to a reading of 104.8 in October.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates virtually unchanged and remaining near all-time record lows. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.32% with an average 0.8 point for the week ending November 29, up from last week when it averaged 3.31%.
- Mortgage applications decreased 0.9% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending November 23.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 23 thousand to 393 thousand in the week ending November 24.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had increased in October, posted a moderate increase in November.
- The FED’s “Beige Book” indicated that overall economic activity expanded at a measured pace since the last report.
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November 26th, 2012
- Housing starts increased 3.6% in October, following a 15.1% increase in the previous month.
- October existing home sales increased 2.1% to an annualized rate of 4,790 thousand units.
- The median sales price of existing houses sold was $178.6 thousand, 11.1% above October 2011.
- The housing market index rose five points to 46 in November, its highest level since June 2006.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates dipping to new all-time record lows for the second consecutive week.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 41 thousand to 410 thousand in the week ending November 17.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment increased to 82.7 in November, from 82.6 in October.
- The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators increased 0.2% in October, while the coincident index increased 0.1%.
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November 19th, 2012
- Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for October were down 0.3% from September, but were up 3.8% from October 2011.
- Total manufacturing and trade sales for September were up 1.4% from August, while inventories were up 0.7%.
- Total Industrial production decreased 0.4% in October, following a 0.2% increase in the previous month.
- The federal government budget ran a deficit of $120.0 billion in October, after a surplus of $75.2 billion in the previous month.
- Treasury International Capital reported net foreign purchases of long-term securities of $17.9 billion in September, compared with net purchases of $78.5 billion in the previous month.
- The consumer price index increased 0.1% in October, while the core index increased 0.2%. The consumer price index increased 2.2% for the 12-month period ending in October, while the core index rose 2.0%.
- The producer price index for finished goods decreased 0.2% in October. The core index, which held steady in September, also decreased 0.2%. The producer price index for finished goods increased 2.3% from October 2011 to October 2012.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 78 thousand to 439 thousand in the week ending November 10.
- Real average hourly earnings for all employees decreased 0.2% from September to October.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates dipping to new all-time record lows amid indicators of higher consumer confidence and lower wholesale prices.
- The November Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that manufacturing activity in New York State continued to decline for a fourth consecutive month.
- The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey for November reported declines in business activity following the disruptive effects of Hurricane Sandy on the region.
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November 12th, 2012
- In September international trade deficit was $41.5 billion, $2.3 billion less than the August figure.
- The import price index increased 0.5% in October, while the export price index held steady.
- Sales of merchant wholesalers in September were up 2.0% from August, while inventories were up 1.1%.
- September consumer credit outstanding increased at an annual rate of 5.0% to $2,737.2 billion.
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.40% for the week ending November 8, up from last week when it averaged 3.39%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 8 thousand to 355 thousand in the week ending November 3.
- In October, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) survey results indicated growth in the non-manufacturing business activity for the 34th consecutive month.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, increased to its highest level since July 2007.
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November 5th, 2012
- Total non-farm payroll employment rose 171 thousand to 133.755 million in October, following an increase of 148 thousand in the previous month. Private-sector payrolls increased 184 thousand in the month, while government employment decreased 13 thousand.
- The number of unemployed persons increased by 170 thousand to 12.258 million. The unemployment rate edged up to 7.9%, from 7.8% in the previous month.
- The average workweek of production and non-supervisory employees decreased 0.1 to 33.7 hours. Average hourly earnings decreased by a cent to $19.79, while average weekly earnings decreased by $2.32 to $664.94. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings were up 1.1%, while average weekly earnings were up 0.8%
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 9 thousand to 363 thousand in the week ending October 27.
- Third quarter productivity increased 1.9% (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the non-farm business sector, the same increase as in the previous quarter. Unit labor costs decreased 0.1% in the third quarter, following a 1.7% increase in the previous quarter.
- The Employment Cost Index for total compensation rose 0.4%, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending September 2012. Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.0% for the 12-month period ending September 2012.
- Sales of domestic cars decreased 1.8% in October, while total light vehicle (cars and light trucks) sales decreased 4.4%. Total sales were 14.230 million units in September, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, compared to 13.294 million in October of 2011.
- New orders for manufactured goods increased 4.8% in September, while shipments increased 0.9%.
- September construction spending increased 0.6%. Private construction increased 1.3%, while public construction decreased 0.8%.
- The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index posted annual increases of 1.3% and 2.0% in August, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively.
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.39% for the week ending November 1, down from last week when it averaged 3.41%.
- The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated that the manufacturing sector expanded in October for the second consecutive month following three months of slight contraction, and the overall economy grew for the 41st consecutive month.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had increased in September, improved again in October.
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October 29th, 2012
- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.0% in the third quarter of 2012, after increasing at 1.3% in the previous quarter. The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 1.5% in the third quarter, compared to an increase of 0.7% in the previous quarter.
- Personal income increased 0.4%, in September, while personal consumption expenditures increased 0.8%. The price index for personal consumption expenditures (headline index) rose 0.4% in September, while the core index increased 0.1%.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 9.9% in September, while shipments increased 0.8% in September.
- September new home sales increased 5.7% to an annualized rate of 389 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $242.4 thousand, 11.7% above the September 2011.
- U.S. House prices rose 0.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis from July to August, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly House Price Index. For the 12 months ending in August, U.S. prices rose 4.7%.
- The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, edged up 0.3% to a reading of 99.5 in September, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.41% for the week ending October 25, up from last week when it averaged 3.37%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 23 thousand to 369 thousand in the week ending October 20.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment rose to 82.6 in October, its highest level since September 2007.
- The Federal Open Market Committee decided to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 0 to 0.25%, and indicated that it is anticipated that economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through mid-2015.
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October 22nd, 2012
- Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for September were up 1.1% from August, and were up 5.4% from September 2011.
- Total manufacturing and trade sales for August increased 0.5% from July, while inventories increased 0.6%.
- Total Industrial production increased 0.4% in September, following a 1.4% decrease in the previous month.
- Housing starts surged 15.0% in September, following a 4.1% decrease in the previous month.
- September existing home sales decreased 1.7% to an annualized rate of 4,750 thousand units. The September figure was 11.0% above the September 2011 figure. The median sales price of existing houses sold was $183.9 thousand, 11.3% above September 2011.
- The housing market index of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo rose to 41 in October, its highest level since June 2006.
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.37% for the week ending October 18, down from last week when it averaged 3.39%.
- Treasury International Capital reported net foreign purchases of long-term securities of $78.5 billion in August, compared with net purchases of $60.6 billion in the previous month.
- The consumer price index (headline index) increased 0.6% in September, while the core index increased 0.1%. Both indexes increased 2.0% for the 12-month period ending in September.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 46 thousand to 388 thousand in the week ending October 13.
- The October Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that manufacturing activity in New York State continued to decline for a third consecutive month.
- The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey for October indicated a modest improvement in business activity.
- The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators increased 0.6% in September, while the coincident index increased 0.2%.
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October 15th, 2012
- In August, the international trade deficit was $44.2 billion, $1.7 billion more than the revised July figure.
- The federal government budget ran a surplus of $75.0 billion in September, after a deficit of $190.5 billion in the previous month. The deficit for the fiscal year 2012 was $1,089.4 billion, compared with a deficit of $1,296.8 billion for the previous fiscal year.
- August consumer credit outstanding increased at an annual rate of 8.0% to $2,725.6 billion.
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.39% for the week ending October 11, up from last week when it averaged 3.36%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 30 thousand to 339 thousand in the week ending October 6.
- The producer price index for finished goods (headline index) increased 1.1% in September, while the core index held steady. The producer price index for finished goods increased 2.1% from September 2011 to September 2012.
- The import price index increased 1.1% in September, while the export price index increased 0.8%. The import price index decreased 0.2% from September 2011, while the price index for exports decreased 0.5%.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, increased to 83.1 in October from 78.3 in September. This was the highest reading since September 2007.
- The FED’s “Beige Book” indicated that overall economic activity generally expanded modestly since the last report.
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October 8th, 2012
- Total non-farm payroll employment rose 114 thousand to 133.500 million in September, following an increase of 142 thousand in the previous month. Private-sector payrolls increased 104 thousand in the month, while government employment increased 10 thousand.
- The number of unemployed persons decreased by 456 thousand to 12.088 million. The unemployment rate decreased to 7.8%, from 8.1% in the previous month.
- The average workweek of production and non-supervisory employees held steady at 33.7 hours, while average hourly earnings increased by 5 cents to $19.81.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 4 thousand to 367 thousand in the week ending September 29.
- Sales of domestic cars decreased 1.0% in September, while total light vehicle (cars and light trucks) sales increased 2.8%. Total sales were 14.879 million units in September, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, compared to 13.093 million in September of 2011.
- New orders for manufactured goods (excluding semiconductors) decreased 5.2% in August, while shipments decreased 0.3%.
- August construction spending decreased 0.6% to $837.1 billion, seasonally adjusted annual rate, following a 0.4% decrease in the previous month.
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate decreased to all-time record low of 3.36% for the week ending October 4.
- The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated that the manufacturing sector expanded in September following three consecutive months of slight contraction, and the overall economy grew for the 40th consecutive month.
- In September, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing survey results indicated growth in the non-manufacturing business activity for the 33rd consecutive month.
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