The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 1.2 percent in August to 106.5 (2016 = 100), following a 2.0 percent increase in July and a 3.1 percent increase in June.

“While the US LEI increased again in August, the slowing pace of improvement suggests that this summer’s economic rebound may be losing steam heading into the final stretch of 2020,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Senior Director of Economic Research at The Conference Board. ...

Consumer sentiment improved in early September, reaching the top of the range it has traveled since April. While the recent gain was consistent with an unchanged flat trend, the data indicated that the election has begun to have an impact on expectations about future economic prospects. The Michigan surveys have traditionally asked consumers ...

The U.S. current account deficit, which reflects the combined balances on trade in goods and services and income flows between U.S. residents and residents of other countries, widened by $59.0 billion, or 52.9 percent, to $170.5 billion in the second quarter of 2020, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). ...

In the week ending September 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 860,000, a decrease of 33,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 9,000 from 884,000 to 893,000. The 4-week moving average was 912,000, a decrease of 61,000 from the previous week's revised average. ...

Building Permits
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,470,000. This is 0.9 percent (±1.4 percent)* below the revised July rate of 1,483,000 and is 0.1 percent (±1.5 percent)* below the August 2019 rate of 1,471,000. Single-family authorizations in August were at ...

Manufacturing activity in the region continued to expand this month, according to firms responding to the September Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey. The survey's current indicators for general activity, new orders, and shipments remained positive for the fourth consecutive month. The employment index improved in September and remained ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for July 2020. The sum total in July of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a net TIC outflow of $88.7 billion. Of this, net foreign private outflows were $55.0 billion, and net ...

The Federal Reserve is committed to using its full range of tools to support the U.S. economy in this challenging time, thereby promoting its maximum employment and price stability goals.

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing tremendous human and economic hardship across the United States and around the world. Economic activity and employment have picked up in recent months but remain well below their levels at the beginning of the year. Weaker demand and ...

The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for July, adjusted for seasonal and trading day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,441.1 billion, up 3.2 percent (±0.2 percent) from June 2020, but was down 1.2 percent (±0.4 percent) from ...

In a strong signal that housing is leading the economic recovery, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes increased five points to hit an all-time high of 83 in September, according to the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. The previous highest reading of 78 in the 35-year history of ...

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $537.5 billion, an increase of 0.6 percent (± 0.5 percent) from the previous month, and 2.6 percent (± 0.7 percent) above August 2019. Total sales for the June ...

Mortgage applications decreased 2.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 11, 2020. This week's results include an adjustment for the Labor ...

Industrial production rose 0.4 percent in August for its fourth consecutive monthly increase. However, even after the recent gains, the index in August was 7.3 percent below its pre-pandemic February level. Manufacturing output continued to improve in August, rising 1.0 percent, but the gains for most manufacturing industries have gradually ...

U.S. import prices rose 0.9 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following advances of 1.2 percent in July and 1.4 percent in June. Higher prices for both fuel and nonfuel imports contributed to the August increase. Prices for U.S. exports also advanced in August, rising 0.5 percent, after increasing 0.9 ...

Business activity expanded at a solid clip in New York State, according to firms responding to the September 2020 Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index climbed thirteen points to 17.0. New orders increased modestly, and shipments grew significantly. Unfilled orders continued to decline. Inventories ...

The Conference Board®-Burning Glass® Help Wanted OnLine™ (HWOL) Index rose in August and now stands at 105.1 (July 2018=100), up from 103.4 in June. The Index rose 10.3 percent from June to July and is up 0.8 percent from a year ago.

The Help Wanted OnLine™ Index is produced in collaboration with Burning Glass Technologies, the global pioneer in real-time labor market data and analysis. This recent collaboration enhances the Help Wanted OnLine™ program by providing additional insights into important ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in August on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.6 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.3 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The monthly increase in the ...

All employees
Real average hourly earnings for all employees were unchanged from July to August, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from an increase of 0.4 percent in average hourly earnings offset by an increase of 0.4 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

July 2020 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading day differences but not for price changes, were $479.2 billion, up 4.6 percent (±0.5 percent) from the revised June level, but were down 4.0 percent (±0.9 percent) from the revised July 2019 level. The ...

The Producer Price Index for final demand increased 0.3 percent in August, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Final demand prices rose 0.6 percent in July and fell 0.2 percent in June. (See table A). On an unadjusted basis, the final demand index declined 0.2 percent for the 12 months ended ...

In the week ending September 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 884,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 881,000 to 884,000. The 4-week moving average was 970,750, a decrease of 21,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous ...

The number of job openings increased to 6.6 million on the last business day of July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires decreased to 5.8 million in July. Total separations was little changed at 5.0 million. Within separations, the quits rate rose to 2.1 percent while the layoffs and discharges rate decreased to 1.2 ...

Mortgage applications increased 2.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 4, 2020. This week's results are being compared to the week of Labor ...

In July, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3-1/2 percent. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 1/2 percent, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 4-3/4 percent.

...

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) increased in August, following increases in May, June, and July. The index now stands at 52.55, up from 51.37 (an upward revision) in July. However, the index is down from 109.8 a year ago.

“Despite the rise in new COVID-19 cases at the beginning of the summer, job growth continues to gain momentum: the Employment Trends Index increased for the fourth consecutive month,” said Gad Levanon, Head of The Conference Board Labor Markets Institute. “Over the coming ...

The NFIB Optimism Index increased 1.4 points in August to 100.2, a reading slightly above the historical 46-year average. Seven of the 10 Index components improved, two declined, and one was unchanged. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased two points in August to 90, the second-highest reading ...

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 1.4 million in August, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.4 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain ...

Economic activity in the services sector grew in August for the third month in a row, say the nation's purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM® Report On Business®.

The report was issued today by Anthony Nieves, CPSM, C.P.M., A.P.P., CFPM, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Services Business Survey Committee: “The Services PMI™ (formerly the Non-Manufacturing NMI®) registered 56.9 percent, 1.2 percentage points lower ...

In the week ending August 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 881,000, a decrease of 130,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 5,000 from 1,006,000 to 1,011,000. The 4-week moving average was 991,750, a decrease of 77,500 from the previous week's revised average. ...

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 10.1 percent in the second quarter of 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, as output decreased 37.1 percent and hours worked decreased 42.9 percent. (All quarterly percent changes in this release are seasonally adjusted annual rates, and show what the percent change would ...

The nation's international trade deficit in goods and services increased to $63.6 billion in July from $53.5 billion in June (revised), as imports increased more than exports. The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $63.6 billion in July, up $10.1 billion from ...

Job cuts announced by U.S.-based employers in August totaled 115,762, 116% higher than the August 2019 total of 53,480, according to a monthly report released Thursday by global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

August’s total is 56% lower than the 262,649 job cuts announced in July. It is the highest total in August since 2002, when 118,067 job cuts were announced. So far this year, employers have announced 1,963,458 cuts, 231% higher than the 592,556 cuts tracked in ...

Economic activity increased among most Districts, but gains were generally modest and activity remained well below levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturing rose in most Districts, which coincided with increased activity at ports and among transportation and distribution firms. Consumer spending continued to pick up, sparked by ...

Summary
New orders for manufactured goods in July, up three consecutive months, increased $27.8 billion or 6.4 percent to $466.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 6.4 percent June increase. Shipments, also up three consecutive months, increased $21.3 billion or 4.6 percent to $479.5 billion. This followed a ...

Private sector employment increased by 428,000 jobs from July to August according to the August ADP National Employment Report®.

“The August job postings demonstrate a slow recovery,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. “Job gains are minimal, and businesses across all sizes and sectors have yet to come close to their pre-COVID-19 employment levels.” ...

Mortgage applications decreased 2.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 28, 2020.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 3 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 3 ...

Total Construction
Construction spending during July 2020 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,364.6 billion, 0.1 percent (±1.2 percent)* above the revised June estimate of $1,362.8 billion. The July figure is 0.1 percent (±1.6 percent)* below the July 2019 estimate of $1,366.0 billion. During the first seven months of ...

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in August, with the overall economy notching a fourth consecutive month of growth, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.

The report was issued today by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee: “The August PMI® registered 56 percent, up 1.8 percentage points from the July reading of 54.2 percent. This figure ...

The latest Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch shows that despite hiring remaining flat since its drop-off in April, employees of small business are seeing the benefits of solid wage growth. Hourly earnings growth was steady at 3.28 percent in August and weekly earnings continue to improve as the number of hours worked ...

Texas factory activity expanded in August for the third month in a row following a record contraction in the spring after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, came in at 13.1, down ...

The Chicago Business BarometerTM, produced with MNI, slipped to 51.2 in August. This was the second straight reading above the 50-mark after having sat below it for a full year, as firms stated that business activity picked up further in August.

Among the five main indicators, Order Backlogs was the only category to show a monthly decline, while Supplier Deliveries recorded the largest gain. ...

Consumer sentiment has remained trendless in the same depressed range it has traveled in the past five months, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

The August figure posted an insignificant gain of just +0.4 Index points above the April to July average, said U-M economist Richard Curtin, director of the surveys. The small August gain reflected fewer concerns about the year-ahead outlook for the economy, although those ...

Personal income increased $70.5 billion (0.4 percent) in July according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (tables 3 and 5). Disposable personal income (DPI) increased $39.9 billion (0.2 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $267.6 billion ...

Pending home sales in July achieved another month of positive contract activity, marking three consecutive months of growth, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Each of the four major regions saw gains in both month-over-month and year-over-year pending home ...

Tenth District manufacturing activity continued to grow slightly after decreasing sharply in the spring, but still remained well below year-ago levels. Expectations for future activity continued to improve slightly. District firms continued to expect prices for both finished goods and raw materials to expand in the next ...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 31.7 percent in the second quarter of 2020 (table 1), according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP decreased 5.0 percent.

The GDP estimate released today is based on more complete source data than were available for the "advance" estimate issued last month. In the advance estimate, the decrease in real GDP was 32.9 percent. With the second estimate, private inventory investment and personal ...

In the week ending August 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 1,006,000, a decrease of 98,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 1,106,000 to 1,104,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,068,000, a decrease of 107,250 from the previous week's revised ...

New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in July increased $23.2 billion or 11.2 percent to $230.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up three consecutive months, followed a 7.7 percent June increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.4 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased ...

Mortgage applications decreased 6.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 21, 2020.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 6.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 7 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 10 ...

New Home Sales
Sales of new single-family houses in July 2020 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 901,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 13.9 percent (±20.0 percent)* above the revised June rate of 791,000 and is 36.3 percent ...