U.S. Economic News
September 3, 2019
U.S. Economic Indicators
The ISM Manufacturing Index declined 2.1 percentage points to 49.1 in August. The Employment Index fell 4.3 percentage points to 47.4, while the New Orders Index fell 3.6 percentage points to 47.2. ISM Report
Construction spending rose 0.1% in July to an annualized rate of $1.29 trillion. Private construction fell 0.1% while public construction rose 0.4%. Census Bureau Report
U.S. News
According to the Wall Street Journal, the latest WSJ survey of U.S. small businesses found that optimism has fallen to its lowest level since 2012 as small companies struggle to cope with rising costs from tariffs on Chinese goods. Small business owners reported difficulties making long-run purchasing and planning decisions amid the uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy. WSJ