Martin Crutsinger
Orders for Big-Ticket Manufactured Goods Up 0.9% in November
Javad Memarzadeh dusts washers on display in a Home Depot location in Boston on Oct. 29. (Steven Senne/Associated Press)
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%
(Carlos Osorio/Associated Press)
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
A pump jack operates outside of Midland, Texas. (Matthew Busch/Bloomberg News)
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 Chair Jerome Powell testifies during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Sept. 22. (Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)
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
Ford Motor line workers put together ventilators at the Ford Motor Rawsonville plant in Ypsilanti Township, Mich., in May. (Carlos Osorio/Associated Press)
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, 2020US Trade Deficit Surges in July to Highest in 12 Years
Cranes take containers off a Yang Ming Marine Transport ship at the Port of Tacoma in Washington. (Ted S. Warren/Associated Press)
The U.S. trade deficit surged in July to $63.6 billion, the highest level in 12 years, as imports jumped by a record amount.
September 3, 2020Fed Survey Finds Pessimism About Economic Future
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on June 30. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via AP)
The latest Federal Reserve survey of U.S. economic activity found generally modest gains in August but also pessimism about the future given the threats posed by the coronavirus.
September 2, 2020US Manufacturing Improves in July, According to ISM
A metal worker uses a grinder. For the second straight month, the index was above 50, indicating growth in the manufacturing sector. (Phynart Studio/Getty Images)
U.S. manufacturing improved again in July with a key gauge of activity rising further into expansion territory.
August 3, 2020US Economy Shrank at Record-Breaking 33% Rate Last Quarter
A "For Rent" sign hangs on a closed shop in Miami Beach, Fla., on July 13. (Lynne Sladky/Associated Press)
The U.S. economy shrank at a dizzying 32.9% annual rate in the April-June quarter — by far the worst quarterly plunge ever — when the viral outbreak shut down businesses, throwing tens of millions out of work and sending unemployment surging to 14.7%, the government said July 30.
July 30, 2020Orders for Big-Ticket Manufactured Goods Jump 7.3% in June
A General Motors worker validates N95 masks in Warren, Mich., on April 23. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press)
Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods rose a solid 7.3% in June, the second big monthly gain as manufacturing tries to climb out of a spring slump triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
July 27, 2020