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In February, growth in global manufacturing activity strengthened from January, rising from 50.9 to 51.9, a 44-month high. Output and new orders both expanded as production rose at the fastest pace since December 2021 and growth in new orders hit a four-year high. New export orders increased as international trade volumes improved for the first…

Nonfarm payroll employment declined by 92,000 in February, coming in below expectations of a nominal gain. Meanwhile, December and January’s job gains were revised downward by 69,000 to a loss of 17,000 jobs and a gain of 126,000 jobs, respectively. The industries with the most significant job gains in January—healthcare and construction—both shed jobs in…

In February, the U.S. manufacturing sector expanded for the second consecutive month but at a slightly slower pace than the prior month, with the ISM Manufacturing® PMI decreasing to 52.4% from 52.6% in January. Demand indicators remained in expansion territory, with the New Orders, New Export Orders and Backlog of Orders Indexes at 55.8%, 50.3%…

In December, the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index recorded a 1.3% annual gain, down from the 1.4% gain in November and the weakest full year gain since 2011. The 10-City Composite increased 1.9%, down from 2.0% the previous month, while the 20-City Composite rose 1.4% year-over-year, consistent with November’s gain. Among…

Consumer confidence increased 2.2 points in February to 91.2. Among its components, the Present Situation Index declined while the Expectations Index rose as consumers’ concerns regarding the present situation worsened, and concerns about the future eased. The Present Situation Index, reflecting current business and labor market conditions, declined 1.8 points to 120.0. Meanwhile, the Expectations…

The Producer Price Index for final demand (also known as wholesale prices) rose 0.5% over the month in January, after prices moved up 0.4% in December. Over the year, producer prices increased 2.9% in January, down from 3.0% in December. Meanwhile, prices for final demand excluding foods, energy and trade services ticked up 0.3% over…

Manufacturing activity increased in the Tenth District in February, with the month-over-month composite index rising to 5 in February from 0 in January. Meanwhile, expectations for future activity jumped 8 points to 15. The month-over-month activity gain was due to an increase in durable manufacturing, which offset a decline in nondurable manufacturing. At the same…

Manufacturing activity in the Fifth District contracted in February and at a faster pace than the previous month, with the composite manufacturing index decreasing from -6 to -10. At the same time, the local business conditions index declined from -8 in January to -15 in February. Despite current weakness, manufacturers are more optimistic about the…