Economic Highlights
March 9, 2018 United States: Strong U.S. job growth forecast; unemployment rate seen at 4 percent U.S. job growth likely rose at a brisk clip in February and probably pushed down the unemployment rate to a more than 17-year low of 4.0 percent, but wage gains are expected to have slowed after three straight months
March 8, 2018 Jamaica’s Net International Reserves (NIR) totaled US$3,179.50 million as at February 2018, reflecting a decrease of US$23.86 million relative to the US$3,203.36 million reported as at the end of January 2018 (see figure 1). Changes in the NIR resulted from a decrease in Foreign Assets of US$28.38 million to total US$3,761.14 million compared
March 8,2018 United States: U.S. Stocks End Mixed as Trade War Concerns Ease: Markets Wrap U.S. stocks erased deep losses to end the day mixed as White House officials left open the possibility that President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals will spare neighbors from the most severe penalties. The dollar and Treasuries erased gains. The S&P
March 6, 2018 The volume of retail trade decreased by 0.1% in both the euro area (EA19) and in the (EU28) in January 2018 versus December 2017, according to a recent estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Retail trade volume in December 2017 slid by 1% and 0.39% in the euro
March 6,2018 United States: Stock futures higher on signs North Korea open to talks U.S. stock futures pointed to a sharply higher opening on Tuesday after South Korea said it would hold its first summit in more than a decade with North Korea and that the latter was open to talks with the United States
March 5,2018 United States: Fed's Powell Says He Sees ‘No Evidence’ of Overheating in the U.S. Economy Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said he sees no signs the U.S. economy is overheating even as the outlook for growth strengthens and the labor market tightens. During congressional testimony Thursday, he reiterated the central bank will continue to
March 02,2018 United States: Stocks SINK, Bonds Rally on Trump's Metals Duties: Markets Wrap U.S. stocks plunged and Treasuries climbed Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump promised to impose substantial tariffs on foreign metals, drawing a rebuke from a manufacturing industry group and the European Commission. The S&P 500 Index briefly fell below its 100-day
March 01, 2018 Fourth Quarter GDP Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2017, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on the 28th February 2018. This was a .7% decrease from the growth rate of 3.2% reported for the third quarter in 2017. The deceleration
March 01,2018 For the period of April 2017 to January 2018, the GOJ reported Total Revenues & Grants of $434.88 billion, $15.66 billion more than the government’s projection. Furthermore, year over year, this represents an increase of approximately 11% relative to the $391.84 billion recorded for the corresponding period in 2017. ‘Tax Revenue’, ‘Non-Tax Revenue’
February 28,2018 United States: Powell's Rosy Outlook Invites Fed to Weigh Four 2018 Rate Hikes Jerome Powell opened the door to the Federal Reserve raising U.S. interest rates four times this year as he acknowledged stronger economic growth may prompt policy makers to rethink their plan for three hikes. “My personal outlook for the economy
