Labor/Economy
Ups and Downs
(value of manufacturers’ new orders; not seasonally adjusted; $ in millions)
‘Economy Watch’ Podcast with Dees Stribling: Retail Sales Disappointed
Retail sales disappointed in July, but at least the U.S. economy isn’t the E.U. economy.
Economy Watch: State Unemployment Rates Edge Up in July
Thirty states had unemployment rate increases in July compared with June, eight experienced decreases and 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
Economy Watch: E-Commerce Continues to Expand
The Census Bureau reported that U.S. e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2014 were $75 billion, an increase of 4.9 percent compared with the first quarter of the year.
Economy Watch: Euro Zone Growth Stagnates in Q2
Eurostat, the statistics arm of the European Union, reported that gross domestic product in the euro zone (the 18 nations that use the common currency) neither grew nor contracted in the second quarter of 2014 compared with Q1.
Economy Watch: Retail Sales Flat in July
In July, American consumers took a break from an increase in retail spending.
Economy Watch: Budget Deficit Continues Shrinking
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, in its latest Monthly Treasury Statement, said that the country ran a $94 billion deficit in July 2014, down from $97 billion during the same month a year earlier.
‘Economy Watch’ Podcast with Dees Stribling: Baby Boom in 2020?
Will there be a baby boom starting around 2020?
Economy Watch: More Evidence That Home Price Growth is Slowing
FNC reported that its Composite 100 index was up 8 percent in June compared with the same month a year ago; the year-over-year increases for the index have been slowing since peaking in February at 9.4 percent, which was the highest rate since 2006.