U.S. Economic News
March 1, 2019
U.S. Economic Indicators
Disposable personal income eased -0.1% in January after rising 1.1% in December, while real personal consumption expenditure (PCE) decreased 0.6% in December. The PCE price index edged up 0.1% (up 1.7% Y/Y) and the core price index increased 0.2% (up 1.9% Y/Y). BEA Report
The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index rose 2.6 points to 93.8 in the final February reading and is down 5.9 points on the year. The Index of Consumer Expectations increased 4.5 points to 84.4, while the Current Economic Conditions Index eased 0.3 point to 108.8. University of Michigan
The ISM Manufacturing Index rose 2.4 percentage points to 54.2 in February.The Employment Index fell 3.2 percentage points to 52.3 while the New Orders Index dropped 2.7 percentage points to 55.5. ISM Report
U.S. News
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. economy is experiencing the most robust job market in half a century, with employment and wage growth rising for low-skilled and less-educated workers. Persistently low inflation has the potential to make low unemployment more sustainable than in the past. WSJ