Economic Highlights
Date: September 18, 2018 Productive Business Solutions Limited (PBS) held its 1st Annual General Meeting today hosted by Chairman, Mr. P.B. Scott. Following an overview of the Company, Mr. Pedro Paris, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), highlighted that PBS Jamaica, formerly Xerox Jamaica Limited, has been the local Xerox Authorized Partner and has offered world class technology
Date: September 18, 2018 United States: U.S. Takes Grenade Off the Table' With Tweak to Rusal Sanctions The U.S. has laid the groundwork to avoid a brewing crisis in the global aluminum market. By making a technical tweak to sanctions on United Co. Rusal on Friday, the U.S. Treasury handed a potential lifeline to buyers
Date: September 14, 2018 According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, “Hourly labour costs rose by 2.2% in the Euro Area (EA19) and by 2.9% in the EU28 in the second quarter compared with the same quarter of the previous year. In the first quarter of 201, hourly labour costs increased by
Date: September 13, 2018 According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, “Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.4% in both the Euro Area (EA19) and EU28 during the second quarter of 2018, compared with the previous quarter.” In addition, in the first quarter of 2018, GDP has also grown by 0.4% in both
Brent Oil Brent oil prices increased by 1.18% or US$0.91, as prices rose this week. Oil traded on September 13, 2018 at a price of US$78.30 per barrel relative to US$77.39 last week. Brent oil began the year at US$68.07 per barrel. Petrojam prices 87 Octane prices decreased week over week, by 0.52% (JMD$0.72). Additionally,
Date: September 13, 2018 United States: U.S. Core Inflation Unexpectedly Cools on Apparel, Medical Costs A gauge of underlying U.S. inflation unexpectedly cooled in August as apparel prices fell by the most in about seven decades and medical-care costs declined, offering Americans a respite from accelerating price gains. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the core
Date: September 12, 2018 United States: Florence to Batter U.S. Data But Harm to Economy Likely Small The economic impact of Hurricane Florence is unlikely to be large but could muddle U.S. data for months, judging from past experience. Last year, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma constrained activity in the third quarter of 2017 and sparked rebuilding
Date: September 11, 2018 United States: Fed's Rosengren Wants Two More Hikes in 2018 as Economy Grows One more interest rate hike in 2018 won’t satisfy Eric Rosengren’s definition of gradual. In an interview, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston made clear that, barring an unexpected turn for the U.S. economy, he’ll push
Date: September 10, 2018 Jamaica’s Net International Reserves (NIR) totaled US$3,058.42 million as at August 2018, reflecting a decrease of US$91.06 million relative to the US$3,149.48 million reported as at the end of July 2018 (see figure 1). Changes in the NIR resulted from a decrease in Foreign Assets of US$92.42 million to total US$3,608.30 million
Date: September 7, 2018 United States: U.S. Payrolls Rise 201,000 While Wage Gains Accelerate to 2.9% U.S. job gains rebounded by more than forecast in August and wages unexpectedly registered their biggest advance of the expansion, keeping the Federal Reserve on track to lift interest rates this month and possibly another time this year. Nonfarm payrolls
