Economy/Ecommerce

The Census Bureau reported on Monday that U.S. retail sales for September were up 1.1 percent compared with August, and up 5.4 percent compared with September 2011.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday that the Producer Price Index for finished goods rose 1.1 percent in September. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods rose 1.5 percent in September, and the crude goods index advanced 2.8 percent.

RealtyTrac reported on Thursday in its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for September that 180,427 U.S. residential properties suffered foreclosure filings during the month, a decrease of 7 percent from the previous month and down 16 percent from September 2011.

The latest “Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District,” more conveniently known as the Beige Book, was released on Wednesday and said that U.S. economic activity “expanded modestly since the last report.”

In its September 2012 National Housing Survey, Fannie Mae said on Tuesday that Americans’ optimism about the recovery of the housing market and, more broadly, about the idea of homeownership itself continued a gradual climb.

The International Monetary Fund said on Monday in its most recent “World Economic Outlook” that it now expects the world economy to grow by 3.3 percent during 2012, down from its July prediction of 3.5 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its household survey that the number of people who count as employed increased by 873,000 in September, the largest such monthly increase in almost 30 years.

The U.S. economy created 114,000 jobs in September, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.