U.S. Economic News
August 15, 2018
U.S. Economic Indicators
Retail sales rose 0.5% in July and were up 6.4% on the year. Core sales — which excludes autos, gasoline, building materials, and food services — also rose 0.5%. Census Bureau Report
Business inventories inched up 0.1% in June and were up 4.0% from last year. Manufacturers’ sales increased 1.0% and were up 8.4% on the year. Census Bureau Report
The NAHB Housing Market Index declined 1.0 point to 67.0 in August. Builder confidence remained high due to solid demand for new homes. NAHB Report
Industrial production edged up 0.1% in July (up 4.2% Y/Y), after increasing 1.0% (revised) in June. Capacity utilization was unchanged at 78.1 in July. Fed Report
Nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 2.9% in Q2 and was up 1.3% on the year. Hours worked increased 1.9% in Q2 while unit labor costs fell 0.9%. BLS Report