U.S. Economic News
November 13, 2018
U.S. Economic Indicators
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index edged down 0.5 point to 107.4 in October and remains near all-time highs, as five of the components declined, one rose, and four remained unchanged. The share of small business owners with one or more unfilled jobs is now at a 45-year high. NFIB Report
U.S. News
Micah Maidenberg of the Wall Street Journal writes that rising construction costs and a tight labor market have slowed apartment-building activity. Data show that multifamily building permits have fallen every month since March, which may indicate that that recent oversupply issues have begun to abate and that rents may begin to rise in 2019. WSJ
The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. enrollment of international students declined for a second year in a row, falling 6.6% in the 2017-2018 academic year. American universities and colleges have become increasingly dependent on revenue from international students as the number of Americans graduating from high school continues to fall, so the recent decline in international enrollment has financially strained institutions of higher learning. WSJ