Economic data releases in past month

Summary: 

No sign of an economic boom

Note: 

During healthy 

economic growth, 

at least three-quarters

of data releases 

are good news,

(in black ink), 

so bad news

(in red ink) 

will be rare:

.

.

       5/16/18

Industrial  Production 

- April 2018               up +0.7%

- March 2018            up +0.7%

- February 2018       up +0.4%

- January 2018     down -0.4% 

- December 2017     up +0.4%

- November 2017     up +0.5% 

- October 2017         up +1.5%

- September 2017  unchanged

- August 2017       down -0.4% 

- July 2017            down -0.1%

- June 2017              up +0.1%

- May 2017            unchanged

.

.

        5/16/18  

Housing  Starts  

- April 2018           down -3.7%

- March 2018              up 3.6%

- February 2018   down -3.3%

- January 2018      up +10.2%

- December 2017 down -7.1%

- November 2017     up +3.0%

- October 2017         up +8.8%

- September 2017 down -1.1%

- August 2017       down -1.1%

- July 2017            down -2.6%

- June 2017              up +7.8%

- May 2017            down -2.2%

.

.

     5/4/18

April  2018 

Household  Survey

                    Employment

- Employment up only +3,000 in April 2018 (62.8% labor force participation)

- Employment down   -37,000 in March 2018 (62.9%)

- Employment up     +785,000 in February 2018 (63.0%

- Employment up     +409,000 in January 2018 (62.7%) 

- Employment up     +104,000 in December 2017 (62.7%)

- Employment up       +71,000 in November 2017 (62.7%)

- Employment down -478,000 in October 2017 (62.7%)

- Employment up     +906,000 in September 2017 (63.0%) 

- Employment down    -74,000 in August 2017 (62.9%) 

- Employment up      +345,000 in July 2017 (62.9%) 

- Employment up      +245,000 in June 2017 (62.8%) 

- Employment down   -233,000 in May 2017 (62.7%)

                  Unemployment

- Unemployment down -239,000 in April 2018

    (but decline is due to drop outs from labor force)

- Unemployment down -121,000 in March 2018

    (but decline is due to drop outs from labor force)

- Unemployment up       +22,000 in February 2018

- Unemployment up     +108,000 in January 2018

- Unemployment down   -40,000 in December 2017

- Unemployment up       +92,000 in November 2017

- Unemployment down -235,000 in October 2017

- Unemployment down -331,000 in September 2017

- Unemployment up     +151,000 in August 2017

- Unemployment up         +4,000 in July 2017

- Unemployment up     +116,000 in June 2017

- Unemployment down -195,000 in May 2017

. 

.

          5/3/18  

Factory  Orders 

- March 2018         up +1.6% 

- February 2018    up +1.6% 

- January 2018 down -1.3% 

- December 2017 up +1.8%

- November 2017 up +1.7%

- October 2017     up +0.4% 

- September 2017 up +1.7%

- August 2017       up +1.2% 

- July 2017        down -3.3% 

- June 2017           up +3.2% 

- May 2017         down -0.3%

- April 2017        down -0.3% 

.

.

      5/1/18

Auto  Sales

- April 2018           was 17.2 million annual sales rate

- March 2017         was 17.5  

- February 2018    was 17.1

- January 2018     was 17.2 

- December 2017  was 17.9 

- November 2017  was 17.5

- October 2017      was 18.1 

- September 2017 was 18.6 

- August 2017       was 16.1

- July 2017            was 16.8

- June 2017           was 16.7 

- May 2017             was 16.8 

.

.

        5/1/18

Construction  Spending

- April 2018       down -1.7%

- February 2018    up +1.0%

- January 2018    unchanged

- December 2017  up +1.6%

- November 2017  up +1.2%

- October 2017      up +0.1%

- September 2017 up +1.3%

- August 2017        up +0.5%

- July 2017        down -0.9%

- June 2017       down -0.8%

- May 2017            up +1.6%

.

.

       4/27/18

1Q  2018 GDP 

 Real final sales  

excludes volatile inventory changes

     ( first estimate )

1Q 2018 was +1.9%

4Q 2017 was +3.4%

3Q 2017 was +2.4%

2Q 2017 was +3.0%

1Q 2017 was +2.7%

4Q 2016 was only +0.7%

3Q 2016 was +2.6% 

2Q 2016 was +2.9% 

. 

.

         4/24/18

 Case-Shiller  Home  Price Index

    (20-city not seasonally adjusted)

- February 2018    up +0.7% from January 2018  

- January 2018      up +0.3% 

- December 2017  up +0.2% 

- November 2017  up +0.2% 

- October 2017      up +0.2%

- September 2017 up +0.4% 

- August 2017        up +0.4 

- July 2017            up +0.7% 

- June 2017           up +0.7% 

- May 2017            up +0.9% 

- April 2017           up +1.0%     

- March 2017         up +0.3%

        

Year-over-Year Gain

- February 2018 up +6.8% over February 2017          

.

.

           4/24/18

Durable  Goods  Orders

- March 2018         up +2.6%

- February 2018    up +3.5%

- January 2018  down -3.5%

- December 2017  up +2.7%

- November 2017  up +1.7%

- October 2017  down -0.4%

- September 2017 up +2.4%

- August 2017       up +2.1%

- July 2017        down -6.8%

- June 2017           up +6.4%

- May 2017          unchanged

- April 2017        down -0.8%

      Excluding the volatile 

transportation industry orders:

Unchanged in March 2018 

  Up +0.9% in February 2018

Down -0.3% in January 2018

   Up +0.8% in December 2017

   Up +0.4% in November 2017

   Up +1.4% in October 2017

   Up +1.1% in September 2017

   Up +0.7% in August 2017

   Up +0.5% in July 2017

   Up +0.2% in June 2017

   Up +0.1% in May 2017

Down -0.4% in April 2017 

. 

.

           4/29/18

New  Home  Sales  

- March 2018           up +4.0% 

- February 2018      up +3.6% 

- January 2018    unchanged

- December 2017 down -9.4%

- November 2017   up +13.0% 

- October 2017     down -3.6%

- September 2017  up +14.3% 

- August 2017       down -0.1%

- July 2017            down -8.9%

- June 2017              up +2.1% 

- May 2017               up +1.3% 

- April 2017           down -6.3%