Economy/Ecommerce

A sizable group of business organizations pleads with Congress to raise the debt ceiling; the JOLTS report shows little job creation; and the FOMC releases less than illuminative minutes.

The Conference Board’s employment index edges upwards slightly; railroad traffic declines slightly; and the battle in Washington gets more intense by the day.

“Unchanged” statistics mean bad news for unemployment; outstanding consumer credit edged upward in May; and Washington is no closer to averting a U.S. debt default.

The number of jobs created in June was far offset by the number lost; a bill is introduced that would merge Fannie and Freddie; and the debt ceiling clock ticks loudly.

Jobs numbers are mixed for June, with both mass layoffs and added jobs reported; non-manufacturing numbers are down; and a Freedom of Information Act request reveals new information about big 2008 loans.

Orders of manufactured goods made gains in May; bankruptcy filings were down in the first half of this year; and Portuguese debt gets downgraded to junk status.

Construction spending dropped in May; Japan’s post-quake economy is moving toward recovery; and consumer sentiment dropped in June.

CoreLogic reports that housing prices were up in May; most of the largest U.S. counties saw unemployment increase last year; and the Fed bids farewell to quantitative easing.