Global economic update
Highlights of the past week, from central bank policies to trade and currency trends.
August 13, 2018
CANADA: The unemployment rate declined to 5.8% in July from 6.0% in June.
U.S.: Initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 to 213,000 in the week ended August 4, 2018.
JAPAN: Wage growth rose to a 21-year high in June.
GERMANY: Industrial production declined 0.9% in June.
GERMANY: Factory orders fell 4.0% in June.
GERMANY: The Construction PMI remained unchanged in July.
CANADA: Building permits declined 5.7% in June.
CHINA: The Producer Price Index increased 4.6% year over year in July.
JAPAN: GDP grew at an annualized rate of 1.9% in the second quarter.
U.K.: GDP grew 0.4% in the second quarter.
U.K.: The Index of Production fell 0.8% in the second quarter.
U.K.: The Index of Services increased 0.5% in the second quarter.
U.S.: The Producer Price Index for final demand remained unchanged in July.
U.S.: Wholesale sales slipped 0.1% in June.
CHINA: Consumer prices increased 2.1% year over year in July.
AUSTRALIA: The Reserve Bank of Australia noted it expects inflation to rise in 2019 and 2020.
U.S.: Both the CPI and core CPI increased 0.2% in July.
U.S.: The dollar declined versus the Chinese yuan.
EUROZONE: The Sentix Investor Confidence Index showed improvement in August.
AUSTRALIA: Business confidence declined in July, for the third consecutive month.
GERMANY: Exports surged 7.8% year over year in June.
JAPAN: Japan posted a trade surplus in June.
CHINA: Exports grew and imports surged in June.
U.K.: The trade deficit widened in the three months to June.