Statistics for Managers: August 2015

28 August 2015

• U.S. Wages & Salaries — July 2015

Wages and salaries increased $35.8 billion in July, compared with an increase of $14.3 billion in June. Private wages and salaries increased $32.7 billion, compared with an increase of $11.0 billion. Government wages and salaries increased $3.1 billion, compared with an increase of $3.3 billion.

Supplements to wages and salaries increased $6.0 billion in July, compared with an increase of $4.6 billion in June.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOC-BEA

NOTE: This report is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in providing legal, financial, accounting or other professional advice. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Furthermore, while we do our best to ensure that these data are accurate, we suggest that any entity making decisions based on these numbers should verify the data at their source prior to making such decisions.

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• U.S. Personal Income — July 2015

Personal income increased $67.1 billion, or 0.4 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased $61.5 billion, or 0.5 percent, in July.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $37.4 billion, or 0.3 percent. In June, personal income increased $59.4 billion, or 0.4 percent, DPI increased $52.4 billion, or 0.4 percent, and PCE increased $31.8 billion, or 0.3 percent, based on revised estimates.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOC-BEA

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27 August 2015

• U.S. Gross Domestic Product — Q2 2015

Real gross domestic product -- the value of the goods and services produced by the nation's economy less the value of the goods and services used up in production, adjusted for price changes -- increased at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in the second quarter of 2015, according to the "second" estimate. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 0.6 percent.

The increase in real GDP in the second quarter reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, state and local government spending, nonresidential fixed investment, residential fixed investment, and private inventory investment. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOC-BEA

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• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 22 August 2015

In the week ending August 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 271,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 277,000.

The 4-week moving average was 272,500, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 271,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent for the week ending August 15, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 15 was 2,269,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's revised level.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending August 8 were in Puerto Rico (3.8), New Jersey (2.9), Connecticut (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.5), Alaska (2.3), California (2.3), Nevada (2.2), Rhode Island (2.2), the Virgin Islands (2.2), and West Virginia (2.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending August 15 were in Michigan (+1,297), Kansas (+1,244), Missouri (+356), Idaho (+157), and Louisiana (+99), while the largest decreases were in Illinois (-1,486), Pennsylvania (- 1,166), Texas (-1,071), Ohio (-1,001), and Florida (-946).

Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits.

See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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26 August 2015

• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 24 August 2015

Regular Gasoline: The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline decreased eight cents from the previous week to $2.64 per gallon on August 24, 2015, down 82 cents from the same time last year. The Midwest price fell 12 cents to $2.67 per gallon. The West Coast price decreased eight cents to $3.28 per gallon, followed by the East Coast price, which fell six cents to $2.43 per gallon. The Gulf Coast price decreased five cents to $2.29 per gallon, and the Rocky Mountain price fell two cents to $2.82 per gallon.

Diesel Fuel: The U.S. average price of diesel fuel decreased five cents from last week to $2.56 per gallon, down $1.26 per gallon from the same time a year ago. The West Coast and Gulf Coast prices were both down six cents, to $2.77 per gallon and $2.41 per gallon, respectively. The East Coast and Midwest prices both decreased five cents, to $2.65 per gallon and $2.49 per gallon, respectively. The Rocky Mountain price fell four cents to $2.59 per gallon.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USEnergyInformationAdministration

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• U.S. Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders — July 2015

New orders for manufactured durable goods in July increased $4.6 billion or 2.0 percent to $241.1 billion. This increase, up two consecutive months, followed a 4.1 percent June increase.

Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.6 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 1.0 percent.

Transportation equipment, also up two consecutive months, led the increase, $3.8 billion or 4.7 percent to $83.2 billion. …”

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOCCensus

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25 August 2015

• U.S. New Home Sales — July 2015

Sales of new single-family houses in July 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 507,000. This is 5.4 percent (±14.8%) above the revised June rate of 481,000 and is 25.8 percent (±22.6%) above the July 2014 estimate of 403,000.

The median sales price of new houses sold in July 2015 was $285,900; the average sales price was $361,600. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of July was 218,000. This represents a supply of 5.2 months at the current sales rate.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOCCensus

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• U.S. Consumer Sentiment — Early August 2015

“Consumer confidence was virtually unchanged in early August from the July reading, marking its highest nine month average since 2004. Renewed strength in personal finances largely offset slight declines in prospects for the national economy and buying conditions…

[The early August index stood at 92.9 down from 93.1 in July but 12.6% higher than at the same time a year ago.]

”The declines in prospects for the economy probably reflect the expected increases in interest rates, while the eventual but small impacts from falling commodity prices, the devaluation of the renminbi, and a weaker global economy have yet to occur (other than from declines in oil prices). The most important offset to these concerns is that consumption expenditures can be expected to expand at an annual rate of 3.0% in 2015 and 2016, prompting continuing net gains in jobs and incomes.…”

Please visit this link to read the full report: UMichigan

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21 August 2015

• U.S. Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — July 2015

Unemployment: Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from June, 14 states had increases, and 12 states had no change. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, six states had increases, and three states had no change.

Employment: Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 34 states and decreased in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+80,700), Texas (+31,400), and Florida (+30,500). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in New Jersey (-13,600), followed by Louisiana (-4,500) and Kansas (-4,300).

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOL-BLS

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• CT Labor Situation — July 2015

Preliminary Connecticut July nonfarm employment numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey show the state increased jobs by 4,100 (0.24%) last month to a level of 1,696,000, seasonally adjusted. This is the third monthly nonfarm job gain in a row, signifying a fairly strong summer so far. The state is now estimated to have added 30,600 nonfarm positions (1.84%, 2,550 jobs per month) over the year.

The unemployment rate for July 2015 was 5.4% in Connecticut, seasonally adjusted, now much closer to the U.S. unemployment rate (5.3%). This is down three-tenths of a percentage point from the revised June 2015 unemployment rate of 5.7% and down a full percentage point from the July 2014 unemployment rate of 6.4%.

“The pace of decline in the state’s unemployed has accelerated in the last three months,” said Andy Condon, Director of the Office of Research. “This has brought Connecticut’s unemployment rate to a level nearly identical with the U.S. average….”

Please visit this link to read the full report: CTDOLResearch

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20 August 2015

• U.S. Existing Home Sales — July 2015

“Existing-home sales steadily increased for the third consecutive month in July, while stubbornly low inventory levels and rising prices are likely to blame for sales to first-time buyers falling to their lowest share since January, according to the National Association of Realtors®.…”

Please visit this link to read the full report: NationalAssocationRealtors

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• U.S. Leading Indicators — July 2015

“The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. declined 0.2 percent in July to 123.3 (2010 = 100), following a 0.6 percent increase in June, and a 0.6 percent increase in May.

“’The U.S. LEI fell slightly in July, after four months of strong gains. Despite a sharp drop in housing permits, the U.S. LEI is still pointing to moderate economic growth through the remainder of the year,’ said Ataman Ozyildirim, Director of Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board. ‘Current conditions, measured by the coincident economic index, have been rising moderately but steadily, driven by rising employment and income, and even industrial production has improved in recent months….’”

Please visit this link to read the full report: TheConferenceBoard

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• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 15 August 2015

In the week ending August 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 277,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 274,000 to 273,000.

The 4-week moving average was 271,500, an increase of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent for the week ending August 8, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 8 was 2,254,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised level.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending August 1 were in Puerto Rico (3.9), New Jersey (3.0), Connecticut (2.6), Pennsylvania (2.6), California (2.4), Alaska (2.3), Nevada (2.2), Rhode Island (2.2), Massachusetts (2.1), the Virgin Islands (2.1), and West Virginia (2.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending August 8 were in California (+2,498), Illinois (+2,042), New York (+1,554), Pennsylvania (+1,035), and Puerto Rico (+920), while the largest decreases were in Virginia (-329), Kansas (-236), Florida (-182), Indiana (-116), and Rhode Island (-53).

Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits.

See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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19 August 2015

• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 18 August 2015

Regular Gasoline: The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline increased nine cents from the previous week to $2.72 per gallon as of August 17, 2015, 76 cents lower than at the same time last year. The U.S. average was pushed up by an increase in the Midwest retail price, up 32 cents to $2.79 per gallon, following a major refinery outage. The Rocky Mountain price increased four cents to $2.84 per gallon. The West Coast price increased less than a penny to remain $3.36 per gallon, while the Gulf Coast price was unchanged from the previous week, remaining $2.34 per gallon. The East Coast price decreased three cents to $2.49 per gallon.

Diesel Fuel: The U.S. average diesel fuel price decreased less than a penny to remain $2.62 per gallon, $1.22 per gallon lower than last year at this time. Only the Midwest price increased, up two cents to $2.54 per gallon. The East Coast and West Coast prices both decreased two cents, to $2.70 per gallon and $2.83 per gallon, respectively. The Gulf Coast price was down a penny to $2.48 per gallon.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USEnergyInformationAdministration

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• U.S. Real Earnings – July 2015

For the Month: Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased by 0.1 percent from June to July, seasonally adjusted. This result stems from a 0.2-percent increase in average hourly earnings being partially offset by a 0.1-percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Real average weekly earnings increased by 0.4 percent over the month due to the increase in real average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.3 percent in the average workweek.

Last 12 Months: Real average hourly earnings increased by 1.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, from July 2014 to July 2015. This increase in real average hourly earnings, combined with a 0.3-percent increase in the average workweek, resulted in a 2.2-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOL-BLS

*Note: Real earnings show the effect of inflation on your pay. If your salary went up by 2.1% over the year while the cost-of-living (CPI-U) rose 2.3%, then the “real” value of your salary fell by 0.2% [differences in some of the data are due to rounding and seasonal adjustment]. The figures reported here are earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted.

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• U.S. Consumer Price Indexes — July 2015

All indexes reported below are NSA:

CPI-U: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 238.654 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index was essentially unchanged prior to seasonal adjustment.

CPI-W: The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) decreased 0.3 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 233.806 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index was essentially unchanged prior to seasonal adjustment.

C-CPI-U: The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) decreased 0.1 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index was virtually unchanged on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please note that the indexes for the past 10 to 12 months are subject to revision.

The Consumer Price Index for August 2015 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, September 16, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). …”

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOL-BLS

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18 August 2015

• U.S. New Residential Construction — June 2015

Building Permits: Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,119,000. This is 16.3 percent (±1.1%) below the revised June rate of 1,337,000, but is 7.5 percent (±1.4%) above the July 2014 estimate of 1,041,000.

Single-family authorizations in July were at a rate of 679,000; this is 1.9 percent (±1.0%) below the revised June figure of 692,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 412,000 in July.

Housing Starts: Privately-owned housing starts in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,206,000. This is 0.2 percent (±15.2%) above the revised June estimate of 1,204,000 and is 10.1 percent (±10.8%)* above the July 2014 rate of 1,095,000.

Single-family housing starts in July were at a rate of 782,000; this is 12.8 percent (±9.8%) above the revised June figure of 693,000. The July rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 413,000.…”

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOCCensus

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14 August 2015

• Who Drives to Work? Commuting by Automobile in the U.S., 2013

Study looks at commuting by private vehicle. The report highlights differences in rates of automobile commuting by population characteristics such as age, race, ethnicity, place of birth and the types of communities in which workers live, based on data collected during the 2013 American Community Survey.

Also released is a county-to-county commuting flows table package that looks at traveling to work between counties and the primary travel mode people use, based on American Community Survey data collected from 2006 to 2013.

Highlights from the Report:

• About 86 percent of U.S. workers commuted to work by automobile in 2013; three out of four commuters drove alone.

• Driving alone to work peaked in 2010 at 76.6 percent but changed little between 2010 and 2013.

• Urban workers age 25 to 29 showed about a 4 percentage point decline in automobile commuting between 2006 and 2013.

• Workers age 25 to 29 showed the highest increase in public transportation commuting between 2006 and 2013, from 5.5 percent to 7.1 percent.

• The rate of carpooling has declined during each decade since 1980. About 9.0 percent of workers carpooled in 2013, down from 19.7 percent in 1980.

• At 78 percent, workers living in principal cities within metro areas had a lower rate of automobile commuting in 2013 than their suburban or nonmetropolitan counterparts (89 and 91 percent, respectively).

• Hispanic workers showed the highest rate of carpooling in 2013 and the largest declines in carpooling between 2006 and 2013, from 18.6 percent to 14.7 percent.…”

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOCCensus

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• U.S. Consumer Sentiment — August 2015

“U.S. consumer sentiment came in lower in early August, missing expectations, according to a report released on Friday.

”The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's preliminary August reading on the index was 92.9. That was slightly lower than the previous month's reading of 93.1 and Reuters' estimates for 93.5.…”

Please visit this link to read the full report: CNBC

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• U.S. Industrial Production — July 2015

Industrial production increased 0.6 percent in July after moving up 0.1 percent in June. In July, manufacturing output advanced 0.8 percent primarily because of an increase in motor vehicle assemblies. The output of motor vehicles and parts jumped 10.6 percent, and production elsewhere in manufacturing edged up 0.1 percent.

The index for mining rose 0.2 percent, while the index for utilities fell 1.0 percent. At 107.5 percent of its 2012 average, total industrial production in July was 1.3 percent above its year-earlier level. (The comparison base year for industrial production was advanced to 2012 in the annual revision to the statistics published on July 21, 2015.)

Capacity utilization for the industrial sector increased 0.3 percentage point in July to 78.0 percent, a rate that is 2.1 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2014) average…”

Please visit this link to read the full report: FederalReserve

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• U.S. Producer Price Indexes — July 2015

The Producer Price Index for final demand advanced 0.2 percent in July, seasonally adjusted. Final demand prices rose 0.4 percent in June and 0.5 percent in May.

On an unadjusted basis, the final demand index moved down 0.8 percent for the 12 months ended in July, the sixth straight 12-month decline.

The increase in the final demand index in July can be traced to prices for final demand services, which climbed 0.4 percent. In contrast, the index for final demand goods edged down 0.1 percent.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOL-BLS

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13 August 2015

• U.S. Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales — June 2015

Sales. The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for June, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,325.5 billion, up 0.2 percent (±0.2%) from May 2015, but was down 2.5 percent (±0.4%) from June 2014.

Inventories. Manufacturers’ and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,812.5 billion, up 0.8 percent (±0.1%) from May 2015 and were up 3.0 percent (±0.5%) from June 2014.

Inventories/Sales Ratio. The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of June was 1.37. The June 2014 ratio was 1.30.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOCCensus

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• U.S. Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services — July 2015

U.S. retail and food services sales for July, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $446.5 billion, an increase of 0.6 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month, and up 2.4 percent (±0.7%) above July 2014.

Total sales for the May 2015 through July 2015 period were up 2.3 percent (±0.7%) from the same period a year ago.

Retail trade sales were up 0.6 percent (±0.5%) from June 2015, and up 1.6 percent (±0.7%) above last year. Food services and drinking places were up 9.0 percent (±3.3%) from July 2014 and motor vehicle and parts dealers were up 6.9 percent (±2.8%) from last year.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOCCensus

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• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 08 August 2015

In the week ending August 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 274,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 270,000 to 269,000.

The 4-week moving average was 266,250, a decrease of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since April 15, 2000 when it was 266,250. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 268,250 to 268,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent for the week ending August 1, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 1 was 2,273,000, an increase of 15,000 from the previous week's revised level.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 25 were in Puerto Rico (4.1), New Jersey (3.0), Connecticut (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.5), California (2.3), Rhode Island (2.3), West Virginia (2.3), Alaska (2.2), Nevada (2.2), and the Virgin Islands (2.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending August 1 were in Virginia (+1,094), Iowa (+538), Florida (+340), Wisconsin (+257), and Indiana (+252), while the largest decreases were in California (-3,157), Tennessee (- 1,451), New York (-1,247), Illinois (-1,099), and Georgia (-440).

Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits.

See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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12 August 2015

• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 12 August 2015

Regular Gasoline: The U.S. average retail price of regular gasoline fell six cents from the week prior to $2.63 per gallon as of August 10, 2015, 88 cents lower than at the same time last year. The West Coast price led the declines, down 12 cents per gallon to $3.36 per gallon. The Gulf Coast price decreased six cents per gallon to $2.34 per gallon, while the East Coast price declined five cents to $2.52 per gallon. The Midwest price was down four cents to $2.47 per gallon, and the Rocky Mountain price decreased three cents to $2.80 per gallon.

Diesel Fuel: The U.S. average diesel fuel price decreased five cents from last week to $2.62 per gallon, $1.23 per gallon lower than the same time last year. The West Coast and East Coast prices both fell six cents, to $2.85 per gallon and $2.71 per gallon, respectively. The Gulf Coast, Midwest, and Rocky Mountain prices each decreased five cents, to $2.49 per gallon, $2.52 per gallon, and $2.64 per gallon, respectively.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USEnergyInformationAdministration

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• U.S. Job Openings, Hires, Turnover, Quits — June 2015

• There were 5.250 million job openings [all data NSA] on the last business day of June, up 11.3% from the same month a year ago; the job openings rate was 3.5%.

• Hires were 5.939 million, up 7.8% from June 2014; the hires rate was 4.2%.

• Total separations were 5.108 million up 8.7% in the last 12 months. This yielded a “turnover” rate of 3.6% for the month…an annual equivalent of 43.2%.

• Within total separations, the 2.936 million quits [up 11.2%] yielded a quit rate of 2.1% percent and 1.709 million layoffs and discharges [up 4.2%] yielded a rate of 1.2%.

[1] The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. [2] The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. [3] The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment; includes quits. [4] The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment; included in "total turnover."

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOL-BLS

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11 August 2015

• U.S. Monthly Wholesale Trade: Sales and Inventories — June 2015

Sales. June 2015 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $449.9 billion, up 0.1 percent (+/-0.7) from the revised May level, but were down 3.8 percent (+/-1.2%) from the June 2014 level.

Inventories. Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $586.2 billion at the end of June, up 0.9 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised May level and were up 5.4 percent (+/-1.4%) from the June 2014 level.

Inventories/Sales Ratio. The June inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.30. The June 2014 ratio was 1.19.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOC-Census

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• U.S. Labor Productivity & Costs — Q2 2015

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased at a 1.3 percent annual rate during the second quarter of 2015 as output increased 2.8 percent and hours worked increased 1.5 percent. (All quarterly percent changes in this release are seasonally adjusted annual rates.) From the second quarter of 2014 to the second quarter of 2015, productivity increased 0.3 percent, reflecting increases in output and hours worked of 2.8 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively.

Unit labor costs in the nonfarm business sector increased 0.5 percent in the second quarter of 2015, reflecting a 1.8 percent increase in hourly compensation and a 1.3 percent increase in productivity. Unit labor costs increased 2.1 percent over the last four quarters….”

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOL-BLS

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10 August 2015

• U.S. Manufacturing Employment Index — July 2015

“ISM®’s Employment Index registered 52.7 percent in July, which is a decrease of 2.8 percentage points when compared to the 55.5 percent reported in June, indicating growth in employment for the third consecutive month. An Employment Index above 50.6 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.

”Of the 18 manufacturing industries, in July, 10 industries reported employment growth in the following order: Textile Mills; Printing & Related Support Activities; Paper Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Machinery; Furniture & Related Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Transportation Equipment; Fabricated Metal Products; and Computer & Electronic Products. The five industries reporting a decrease in employment in July are: Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Chemical Products….”

Please visit this link to read the full report: InstituteSupplyManagement

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• U.S. Small Business Employment Report — July 2015

“A seasonally adjusted net 23 percent of owners reported raising [employee] compensation, up 2 points from June, and 2 points below the expansion high reading reached in January and May. The net percent planning to increase compensation rose 4 points from June to a net 15 percent.

”The NFIB job openings and the rising percent of owners reporting finding qualified labor as their top buisness problem (now at 13 percent) indicate that labor markets are getting tighter. But a barrage of cost-raising reglations (health care, mandatory sick leave, family leave, overtime) are also pushing up compensation costs and crowding out the potential for gains in take-home pay….”

Please visit this link to read the full report: NationalFederationIndependentBusinesses

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• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 05 August 2015

Regular Gasoline: The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline decreased six cents from last week to $2.69 per gallon as of August 3, 2015, down 83 cents from the same time last year. The West Coast and Midwest prices both decreased seven cents per gallon, to $3.48 per gallon and $2.52 per gallon, respectively. The East Coast and Gulf Coast prices each declined five cents, to $2.58 per gallon and $2.39 per gallon, respectively. The Rocky Mountain price decreased three cents to $2.83 per gallon.

Diesel Fuel: The U.S. average diesel fuel price declined six cents from the prior week to $2.67 per gallon, $1.19 less than the same time last year. The Gulf Coast price decreased eight cents to $2.54 per gallon. The Midwest price declined six cents to $2.56 per gallon. The Rocky Mountain and West Coast prices both fell five cents, to $2.69 per gallon and $2.91 per gallon, respectively. The East Coast price was down four cents to $2.77 per gallon.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USEnergyInformationAdministration

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09 August 2015

• Outdoor Workers? West Nile Virus Skeeters Now in Six CT Towns

“Mosquito Trapping and Testing Report 08-03-2015: The following numbers of mosquitoes were collected, identified, and then tested at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.

”The towns and locations of the sites, date of collection, number of mosquitoes tested, and virus isolations are listed.

”The total number tested this week: 147….”

Please visit this link to read the full report: ConnecticutAgriculturalExperimentStation

URL: http://connecticutsaltwaterfishing.com/

07 August 2015

• U.S. Employment Situation — July 2015

In July, both the unemployment rate (5.3 percent) and the number of unemployed persons (8.3 million) were unchanged. Over the year, the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons were down by 0.9 percentage point and 1.4 million, respectively.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for teenagers declined to 16.2 percent in July. The rates for adult men (4.8 percent), adult women (4.9 percent), whites (4.6 percent), blacks (9.1 percent), Asians (4.0 percent), and Hispanics (6.8 percent) showed little or no change.

The civilian labor force participation rate was unchanged at 62.6 percent in July, after declining by 0.3 percentage point in June. The employment-population ratio, at 59.3 percent, was also unchanged in July and has shown little movement thus far this year.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 215,000 in July, compared with an average monthly gain of 246,000 over the prior 12 months. In July, job gains occurred in retail trade, health care, professional and technical services, and financial activities.

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to 34.6 hours in July. The manufacturing workweek for all employees also edged up by 0.1 hour to 40.7 hours, and factory overtime was unchanged at 3.4 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.7 hours.

In July, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 5 cents to $24.99. Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.1 percent. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees increased by 3 cents to $21.01 in July.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOL-BLS

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

06 August 2015

• U.S. Pay Budgets — 2015 - 2016

“Merit-based raises account for the largest portion of salary budget increases, as fewer U.S. employers provide across-the-board base pay increases to keep up with inflation, newly released results from the WorldatWork 2015-2016 Salary Budget Survey show….”

Please visit this link to read the full report: SHRM

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 01 August 2015

In the week ending August 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 270,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 267,000.

The 4-week moving average was 268,250, a decrease of 6,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 274,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent for the week ending July 25, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 25 was 2,255,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised level.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 18 were in Puerto Rico (3.9), New Jersey (3.0), Connecticut (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.7), Alaska (2.4), California (2.4), Nevada (2.3), Rhode Island (2.3), Illinois (2.2), and the Virgin Islands (2.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 25 were in Kansas (+481), West Virginia (+87), Mississippi (+59), Vermont (+55), and New Jersey (+20), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-4,003), California (-3,862), Georgia (-2,690), New York (-2,480), and Pennsylvania (-1,925).

Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits.

See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

05 August 2015

• U.S. Help-Wanted Advertising — July 2015

“Online advertised vacancies rose 83,700 to 5,384,400 in July, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Data Series, released today. The June Supply/Demand rate stands at 1.57 unemployed for each advertised vacancy with a total of 3.0 million more unemployed workers than the number of advertised vacancies. The number of unemployed was 8.3 million in June.

“’Demand has flattened over the past five months, with alternating monthly increases followed by decreases,’ said Gad Levanon, Managing Director, Macroeconomic and Labor Market Research. ‘Overall, 2015 has shown moderate gains averaging about 38,000 per month, largely due to the very strong January and February increases….’”

Please visit this link to read the full report: TheConferenceBoard

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

• U.S. Balance of Trade in Goods & Services — June 2015

The goods and services deficit was $43.8 billion in June, up $2.9 billion from $40.9 billion in May, revised. June exports were $188.6 billion, $0.1 billion less than May exports. June imports were $232.4 billion, $2.8 billion more than May imports.

The June increase in the goods and services deficit reflected an increase in the goods deficit of $2.9 billion to $63.5 billion and a decrease in the services surplus of less than $0.1 billion to $19.7 billion.

Year-to-date, the goods and services deficit increased $1.6 billion, or 0.6 percent, from the same period in 2014. Exports decreased $33.4 billion or 2.9 percent. Imports decreased $31.8 billion or 2.2 percent.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOC-BEA

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

04 August 2015

• U.S. Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders — June 2015

New orders for manufactured goods in June, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $8.7 billion or 1.8 percent to $478.5 billion. This followed a 1.1 percent May decrease.

Shipments, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $2.2 billion or 0.5 percent to $483.5 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent May decrease.

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in June, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased less than $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $1,194.7 billion, down from the previously published 0.1 percent increase. This followed a 0.5 percent May decrease.

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in June, up twenty-four of the last twenty-five months, increased $2.6 billion or 0.6 percent to $403.0 billion, up from the previously published 0.4 percent increase. This was at the highest level since...1992 and followed a 0.2 percent May decrease.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOCCensus

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

• U.S. Auto Sales — July 2015

“Luxury vehicles like Audis and Volvos drove off dealer lots at a furious pace in July and, combined with sizzling demand for SUVs, helped the auto industry roll on toward its best annual sales since before the recession. July sales rose 5 percent to more than 1.5 million….”

Please visit this link to read the full report: Rep-Am

Also visit this link for more data on types and makes of cars sold in July...comparisons to 2014, etc. : Barron’s

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

• U.S. Employee Compensation/Pay Budget Survey Slideshow— 2015 - 2016

“How did pay rates increase in 2015? What will they be in 2016?

”BLR's new slideshow provides an overview of the pay increases employers gave out…full results of the 2015-2016 Pay Budget Survey....”

Please visit this link to read the full report: BLR-HR

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

03 August 2015

• U.S. Personal Income, Expenditures, & Compensation — June 2015

Personal income increased $68.1 billion, or 0.4 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased $60.6 billion, or 0.5 percent, in June.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $25.9 billion, or 0.2 percent.

Prior Month: In May, personal income increased $66.3 billion, or 0.4 percent, DPI increased $53.8 billion, or 0.4 percent, and PCE increased $90.8 billion, or 0.7 percent, based on revised estimates.

Real [Inflation-adjusted] Data: Real DPI increased 0.2 percent in June, compared with an increase of 0.1 percent in May. Real PCE decreased less than 0.1 percent, in contrast to an increase of 0.4 percent.

Compensation: Wages and salaries increased $18.3 billion in June, compared with an increase of $32.0 billion in May. Private wages and salaries increased $16.0 billion in June, compared with an increase of $29.6 billion in May. Government wages and salaries increased $2.3 billion, compared with an increase of $2.4 billion.

Supplements to wages and salaries increased $4.4 billion in June, compared with an increase of $5.6 billion in May.

Please visit this link to read the full report: USDOC-BEA

URL: http://connecticuthumanresources.blogspot.com/

Pages

28 August 2015

• U.S. Wages & Salaries — July 2015

• U.S. Personal Income — July 2015

27 August 2015

• U.S. Gross Domestic Product — Q2 2015

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 22 August 2015

26 August 2015

• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 24 August 2015

• U.S. Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders — July 2015

25 August 2015

• U.S. New Home Sales — July 2015

• U.S. Consumer Sentiment — Early August 2015

21 August 2015

• U.S. Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — July 2015

• CT Labor Situation — July 2015

20 August 2015

• U.S. Existing Home Sales — July 2015

• U.S. Leading Indicators — July 2015

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 15 August 2015

19 August 2015

• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 18 August 2015

• U.S. Real Earnings – July 2015

• U.S. Consumer Price Indexes — July 2015

18 August 2015

• U.S. New Residential Construction — June 2015

14 August 2015

• Who Drives to Work? Commuting by Automobile in the U.S., 2013

• U.S. Consumer Sentiment — August 2015

• U.S. Industrial Production — July 2015

• U.S. Producer Price Indexes — July 2015

13 August 2015

• U.S. Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales — June 2015

• U.S. Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services — July 2015

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 08 August 2015

12 August 2015

• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 12 August 2015

• U.S. Job Openings, Hires, Turnover, Quits — June 2015

11 August 2015

• U.S. Monthly Wholesale Trade: Sales and Inventories — June 2015

• U.S. Labor Productivity & Costs — Q2 2015

10 August 2015

• U.S. Manufacturing Employment Index — July 2015

• U.S. Small Business Employment Report — July 2015

• U.S. Average Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices — 05 August 2015

09 August 2015

• Outdoor Workers? West Nile Virus Skeeters Now in Six CT Towns

07 August 2015

• U.S. Employment Situation — July 2015

06 August 2015

• U.S. Pay Budgets — 2015 - 2016

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims — 01 August 2015

05 August 2015

• U.S. Help-Wanted Advertising — July 2015

• U.S. Balance of Trade in Goods & Services — June 2015

04 August 2015

• U.S. Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders — June 2015

• U.S. Auto Sales — July 2015

• U.S. Employee Compensation/Pay Budget Survey Slideshow— 2015 - 2016

03 August 2015

• U.S. Personal Income, Expenditures, & Compensation — June 2015