UK Data Response UK Labour Data (Apr./May) The UK labour market is showing tentative signs of improvement, but still looks too fragile to withstand the looming public sector job cuts. 16th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW (Jun.), E-Z Trade (Apr.) & Employment (Q1) June’s drop in German ZEW investor confidence is a worrying sign that fears about peripheral debt are damaging sentiment towards core euro-zone economies too. 15th June 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Do wage increases reduce the need for currency appreciation? Rapid wage increases may play a big role in rebalancing China’s economy in the years ahead. In the short term though, they are no substitute for nominal currency appreciation. 15th June 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Can private sector hiring offset public sector job cuts? With public sector job cuts looming, the outlook for employment hinges on whether or not hiring in the sector picks up pace. While some recent indicators of employment intentions have been encouraging... 7th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone PPI (Apr.)/Spanish Unemp. & Con. Conf. (May) April’s sharp rise in euro-zone producer price inflation may prompt concerns that inflationary pressures are building. But we continue to think that deflation, rather than a surge in inflation is the... 2nd June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone & German Unemployment (Apr./May) April’s further rise in euro-zone unemployment adds to evidence that domestic demand in the region looks set to remain weak. 1st June 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Output, Wages, Housing (Apr) & PMI (May) Today's data were mixed, with weak industrial production and housing starts offset by better news from the manufacturing PMI and the labour market. However, all have been somewhat overshadowed by the... 31st May 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Employment conditions still improving The second successive monthly rise in the unemployment rate in April (to 5.1%) has been widely interpreted as a sign that the recovery in the domestic economy is already faltering. We are unconvinced... 31st May 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Unemployment, Spending & CPI (Apr 10) Today’s April data on unemployment (up), household spending and prices (both down) were all worse than expected, although they do not yet make a convincing case that the recovery is faltering. 28th May 2010 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Inflation Report (May) & Labour Market (Mar./Apr.) The dovish tone of the Bank of England’s May Inflation Report suggested that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has no intention of tightening policy anytime soon. If anything, it is more likely to... 12th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Apr.) & Unemployment (Mar.) The euro-zone CPI and unemployment figures add to the view that the region is set for a prolonged period of weak price pressures. 30th April 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Activity, Wages and Prices (Mar.) Today's rush of data showed no sign of the imminent double-dip in the Japanese economy that some still fear. 30th April 2010 · 1 min read
