Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey & German Unemployment (Apr.) April’s improvement in the EC business and consumer survey suggests that, for the time being at least, the euro-zone’s fiscal crisis is not preventing a recovery in the broader economy. 29th April 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Public sector job cuts could yet take unemployment to 3m The argument over whether Labour’s National Insurance rise or the Conservatives’ efficiency savings will cost more jobs detracts from the bigger picture that the required fiscal squeeze will result in... 28th April 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Public sector job cuts could yet take unemployment to 3m The argument over whether Labour’s National Insurance rise or the Conservatives’ efficiency savings will cost more jobs detracts from the bigger picture that the required fiscal squeeze will result in... 28th April 2010 · 1 min read
UK Data Response MPC Minutes (Apr.) & Labour Data (Feb./Mar.) The minutes of April’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting showed that the Committee is still unlikely to alter policy in the near future. Meanwhile, despite the headline-grabbing drop in claimant... 21st April 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea’s labour market strengthens Bank of Korea (BoK) Governor Kim shares the government view that policy rate rises should be delayed until the labour market improves significantly. The large employment gain in March, reported today... 14th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Mar.) & Unemployment (Feb.) March’s increase in euro-zone HICP inflation related mainly to energy effects and should be short-lived. Indeed, the further increase in euro-zone unemployment in February was another sign that... 31st March 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Spending, Unemployment & Ind. Production (Feb.) Today’s data on household spending suggest that the recovery in consumption may have faltered in the first quarter. Nonetheless, other evidence from the consumer sector is reassuring and we do not... 30th March 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Fears of a ‘Spring of Discontent’ overplayed The recent surge in industrial action in the UK has lead to concerns that a ‘Spring of Discontent’ – echoing the highly-disruptive period of strikes in 1978/9 known as the ‘Winter of Discontent’ – is... 23rd March 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Labour market data point to sluggish recovery It has been suggested that the recent falls in unemployment provide further evidence that the economy is recovering more strongly than the official data show. However, the broader news on the labour... 19th March 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Labour market data point to sluggish recovery It has been suggested that the recent falls in unemployment provide further evidence that the economy is recovering more strongly than the official data show. However, the broader news on the labour... 19th March 2010 · 1 min read
UK Data Response MPC Minutes (Mar.) & Labour Data (Jan./Feb.) The minutes of March’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting confirmed that the Committee is content to sit back for now and see how the effects of its past asset purchases pan out. But while it may... 17th March 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Labour market prospects still weak On the whole, last week’s news on the euro-zone economy was once again pretty disappointing. But the recent stabilisation in the unemployment rate is at least a little more encouraging. Unfortunately... 8th March 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Focus Is the recovery in the labour market for real? Despite the scepticism of many, the recent declines in the unemployment rate in Japan are consistent with other evidence on the state of the labour market and the strong performance of the economy... 3rd March 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Household Spending & Unemployment (Jan.) Household spending dropped back in January, but the labour data were better than expected. Unfortunately, there are good reasons to question the sustainability of the sharp falls in unemployment. 2nd March 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemployment (Jan.) & Manufacturing PMI (Feb.) January’s increase in euro-zone unemployment shows that households’ real incomes remain under strain despite very low inflation. At least February’s final Purchasing Managers’ Index points to a... 1st March 2010 · 1 min read
