U.S. Economic News
April 9, 2019
U.S. Economic Indicators
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index edged up 0.1 point to 101.8 in March and remains near all-time highs as five components rose, three fell, and two were unchanged. Expectations for current job openings rose while expectations for the economy to improve remained unchanged. NFIB Report
U.S. News
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (“JOLTS”), a closely-watched measure of labor market health, indicated there were 7.1 million job openings at the end of February, down 0.5 million from January. Hires remained at 5.7 million while the quits rate was unchanged at 2.3 percent. BLS Report
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. announced plans to impose tariffs on $11 billion in imports from the European Union in response to a World Trade Organization ruling in the U.S.’s favor regarding EU subsidies to the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The tariffs proposed by the U.S. would apply to a range of both aviation and non-aviation goods, though the final list of items and level of tariffs will ultimately be determined by a WTO-appointed arbitrator. WSJ