Slow Growth.

International Trade (February 2016)

– Trade Deficit $47.1 billion. Previous was $45.9 billion.

The change in deficit is complicated by many factors:  changing oil prices, increasing demand for U.S. made consumer goods, decreasing demand for U.S. capital goods. and even a decrease in foreign demand for U.S. Services.

 

Redbook Chain Store Sales (week ended 4/2/2016)

– Store Sales year/year  +0.6%. Previous was +1.5%.

This was the week after Easter so the deep discount on Peeps and chocolate bunnies may have been responsible.

 
PMI Services Index (March 2016)

– Index level  51.3. Previous was 49.7

Relatively modest expansion.

 
JOLTS  (February 2016)

– Job Openings 55,445,000. Previous was 5,131,000.

We have moves upward in both Job Opening and people rejoining the Labor market.  Now we need to see if the people reentering the Jobs market have the skills for the opening. The mismatch of these 2 sets is what has, of late, been the curse.

 
ISM Non-Manufacturing Index (March 2016)
– Composite Index   54.5. Previous was 54.0