Housing Starts
January 19, 2022 Housing starts climbed 1.4% in December to 1,702 thousand after having jumped 8.1% in November Starts continue to climb. The recent run-up in COVID cases does not appear to have affected the starts data in December. January should register a...
Homebuilder Confidence
January 18, 2022 .Homebuilder confidence fell 1 point in January to 83 after having risen 1 point in December to. The index edged lower in January but remains at a very lofty level. NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke said, “Higher material costs and lack of availability...
The Economy Hits a Rough Patch — COVID and Weather Take a Toll
January 14, 2022 The surge in COVID cases that began in mid-December took a toll on economic activity in December and is likely to further suppress growth in January. While less deadly than earlier versions of the corona virus, the sheer number of cases has forced...
GDP, Inflation, and Interest Rate Forecasts
January 14, 2022 GDP growth slipped to 2.1% in the third quarter as an increase in COVID cases dampened the pace of consumer spending, and as supply constraints limited the ability of firms to produce. But COVID cases fell sharply in September and October and...
Consumer Sentiment
January 14, 2022 . The preliminary estimate of consumer sentiment for January fell 1.8 points to 68.8 after having risen 3.0 points in December .The November level was the lowest level of confidence in a decade. Surveys of Consumers Chief Economist Richard Curtin...
Industrial Production
January 14, 2022 Industrial production fell 0.1% in December after having risen 0.7% in November and having surged 1.2% in October. The manufacturing sector continues to deal with supply constraints and labor shortages which are curtailing the speed with which it...
Retail Sales
January 14, 2022 Retail sales plunged by 1.9% in December compared to a 0.3% increase that had been expected. Retail sales rose 0.2% in November after having jumped 1.8% in October. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant appears to have played a role in the...
Producer Price Index
January 13, 2022 The Producer Price Index for final demand includes producer prices for goods, as well as prices for construction, services, government purchases, and exports and covers over 75% of domestic production. Producer prices for final demand rose 0.2% in...
Initial Unemployment Claims
January 13, 2022 Initial unemployment claims for the week of January 8 rose 23 thousand to 230 thousand after rising 7 thousand in the previous week. After reaching a peak of 6,867 thousand in March of last year claims have been falling rapidly. The 4-week...
Gasoline Prices
January 12,2022 Gasoline prices rose $0.02 in the week ending January 10 to $3.30 per gallon. In South Carolina gasoline prices tend to about $0.25 below the national average or $3.05. The EIA expects gasoline prices nationally to average $3.06 per gallon this...
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