Martin Crutsinger
Government Revises Q4 GDP Up Slightly to 4.3%
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 4.3% in the final three months of 2020, slightly faster than previously estimated.
March 25, 2021Icy Weather Sends Industrial Production Down 2.2% in February
WASHINGTON — Severe winter weather pushed industrial production down a sharp 2.2% in February, reflecting a big decline in factory output.
March 16, 2021Gasoline Increase Drives 0.4% Boost in Consumer Prices
Consumer prices increased 0.4% in February, the biggest gain in six months, led by a sharp jump in gasoline prices. But core inflation, excluding food and energy, posted a much smaller 0.1% gain, easing fears about a possible sustained acceleration in inflation.
March 10, 2021Manufacturing Activity Jumps to Three-Year High in February
WASHINGTON — U.S. manufacturing expanded in February at the fastest pace in three years with the arrival of a surge in new orders.
March 1, 2021Construction Spending Up 1% in December, Led by Housing
WASHINGTON — U.S. construction spending rose a moderate 1% in December as the number of new homes offset a sustained weakness in nonresidential construction.
February 1, 2021Orders for Big-Ticket Manufactured Goods Up 0.9% in November

Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticketed manufactured goods rose a moderate 0.9% in November with a key category that tracks business investment plans showing a gain.
December 23, 2020September Factory Orders Up 1.9%
Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods rose a stronger-than-expected 1.9% in September with a key category that tracks business investment showing a solid gain as well.
October 27, 2020Industrial Production Fell a Sharp 0.6% in September
WASHINGTON — U.S. industrial production fell 0.6% in September, the weakest showing since industrial output tumbled in the spring when the economy was slowed by widespread lockdowns resulting from the coronavirus.
October 16, 2020Powell, Mnuchin Voice Optimism but Back More Economic Aid

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed cautious optimism Sept. 22 that the U.S. economy is rebounding from the pandemic-induced recession with federal support but that more help from the government is likely needed.
September 22, 2020Industrial Production Growth Slows, Up 0.4% in August

U.S. industrial production slowed to a modest increase of 0.4% in August, far weaker than the strong bounceback recorded in previous months when factories were coming back to life.
September 15, 2020