US Chart Pack Drop in jobless claims illustrates labour market strength There are still areas of the labour market where conditions could be better, particularly the elevated number of part-time workers looking for full-time work and the lack of a meaningful acceleration... 23rd October 2014 · 1 min read
China Data Response HSBC/Markit Flash Manufacturing PMI (Oct.) Today's PMI reading supports our view that the labour market remains healthy. That said, it also suggests that cooling domestic demand is still putting downward pressure on growth going into Q4. 23rd October 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Flash Manufacturing PMI (October) The rebound in the flash manufacturing PMI in October indicates that industrial production should stop falling soon. 23rd October 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus How bad is Belgium’s competitiveness problem? The improvement in southern euro-zone nations’ competitiveness has left some core countries, such as Belgium, lagging behind. If Belgium and other uncompetitive economies are unable to close the... 20th October 2014 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Will falling house prices hurt consumption? There are several strong reasons – not least the evidence of previous downturns – to believe that continued falls in China’s property prices will have little impact on household spending. The risks... 20th October 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian activity data flattered by working day effects The pick-up in Russian activity data in September, while encouraging, may owe more to working day effects than to an underlying improvement in growth. The bigger picture is still one of an economy... 17th October 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Real wages to provide timely support to the recovery Last week saw global financial markets return to panic mode, as concerns about the faltering euro-zone economy, heightened geopolitical risks, the spread of the Ebola virus and falling oil prices came... 17th October 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economic Outlook Working nine to nine? Rapid growth in the UK’s workforce in spite of both demographic and international trends has been crucial to sustaining the economic recovery and preventing it from stoking inflation. Looking ahead... 16th October 2014 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Labour Market Data (Aug./Sep.) The latest labour market figures indicated that the economy is finally starting to see the pick-up in productivity that is required for both the recovery to maintain its present momentum and real... 15th October 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Stalled recovery adds to pressure on policymakers The European economic recovery has weakened, with the euro-zone now at risk of recession and countries outside the region feeling the effects on their exports. While the euro-zone’s peripheral... 13th October 2014 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Labour Force Survey (Sep.) The stronger than expected 74,100 increase in employment in September, which pushed the unemployment rate down to 6.8%, from 7.0%, suggests that the economy might finally be catching fire. One month... 10th October 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Is the FTSE’s fall signalling a slowdown? On the face of it, the sharp decline in the FTSE 100 to its lowest level since last October appears to be a bad portent regarding the sustainability of the UK economy’s recovery. However, the FTSE’s... 10th October 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Is the weaker yen doing more harm than good? The weaker yen hasn’t resulted in the hoped-for improvement in export competitiveness. It has boosted corporate profits, but the pass-through to business investment has been weaker than usual... 10th October 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Consumer Confidence (Sep.) The continued decline in consumer confidence in September adds to the impression from last month’s business sentiment surveys that the recovery remains sluggish. 10th October 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian labour data suggest weaker growth a structural problem The fallout from the crisis in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed by Western governments have certainly contributed to the recent weakness of Russia’s economy. But there are ominous signs –... 9th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia's weak labour market to weigh on consumer spending A fall in employment in September, along with revisions to previous months, has left Australia's labour market looking weak, undermining hopes that stronger consumer spending can help compensate for... 9th October 2014 · 1 min read
