Business Indicators

The cloud of uncertainty that thwarted economic expansion during the early months of 2003 has not faded. Geopolitical events continue to unfold in a manner creating uncertainty. The Iraqi war is over, but peace and prosperity remain illusive in the fractious Middle East. Political and economic turmoil continue. These uncertainties have not pushed the economy into a further … [Read more...] about July 2003: Business Indicators

Real Gross Domestic Product, an inflation-adjusted measure of overall economic performance, posted a modest growth rate of 0.3 percent for the fourth quarter of 2002. This slowdown comes at the confluence of economically constrictive factors. Most important, however, the winds of war and the heightened uncertainties of geopolitical forces have kept consumers and investors wary … [Read more...] about June 2003: Business Indicators

The national recession, which began in March 2001, has not ended, at least according to the customary assessment procedures. Under these procedures, a recession comes to an end when the recovery generates sustained increases in aggregate output and employment. So far, a growing U.S. economy, as reflected by an increase in GDP (gross domestic product) of 0.4 percent during the … [Read more...] about May 2003: Business Indicators

Key economic indicators continue to reveal modest economic performance, both nationally and in Nevada. Most believe we had a recession in 2001, reached bottom, and began recovering during 2002. Recent mild expansion does, nonetheless, leave some questioning the economy’s future direction. Indeed, economic performance has been so soft that total employment has yet to return to … [Read more...] about April 2003: Business Indicators

Consumer confidence measures continue to trend downward, business expansion plans remain on hold and price/earnings ratios remain high – all signs of economic weakness. Still, consumer spending continues to trend upward, particularly housing. Low mortgage rates and past wealth accumulations have spurred the housing market. Without a robust housing market, the recession that … [Read more...] about March 2003: Business Indicators

Evaluation of recent information, especially in comparison with data for September 2001, is clouded by the Sept. 11 experience. As such, looking across a wider time span to gauge current conditions, we find the events since March 2001 – the date given for the end of the last phase of business expansion – are best described as a "shallow" recession. Indeed, the current recession … [Read more...] about January 2003: Business Indicators

With a step-up in federal deficits and investment spending, especially for computers and related high-tech equipment, consumer spending did not have to bear the brunt of keeping the economy afloat in the third quarter. As a result, U.S. spending picked up in the third quarter over what had been expected, posting a solid 3 percent growth rate. Consumer spending during the … [Read more...] about December 2002: Business Indicators

Generally speaking, U.S. economic indicators during the first quarter of 2002 suggested a bright outlook with economic expansion. Yet, a series of accounting scandals slowed the expansion. Consumers, having confidence in the future, continued to spend. However, inability to measure business earnings with any degree of confidence, as well as uncertainty about whether more … [Read more...] about November 2002: Business Indicators

Amid a collection of indicators that seem to give mixed signals, Nevada and the nation continue to rebound from the 2001 recession and the aftermath of Sept. 11, though things still have not fully recovered. Most significantly, unemployment rates, while above the desired 4 percent range of late 2000, nonetheless improved in recent months for Nevada, Clark County and the U.S., … [Read more...] about October 2002: Business Indicators

The decisions of households and businesses push and pull the economy along a path of expansion and contraction. As such, our indicators, although they have proved useful in the past, may seem to be a list of ingredients for a recipe in which something has been left out. Most recently, economic indicators foretell a short recession with a strong recovery. To be sure, the basic … [Read more...] about September 2009: Business Indicators

Amid sharp declines in stock-market prices, conditions along Main Street USA remain buoyant and show little adversity from Wall Street’s difficulties. Indeed, consumer spending continues to trend upward, not turning down as it typically does during a recession. Since the recession began in March 2001, a torrid level of consumer spending has kept this recession mild. … [Read more...] about August 2002: Business Indicators

Current unemployment rates remain higher than year-ago levels. Though down from earlier highs, Nevada’s latest unemployment rate is at 5.5 percent compared with 6.0 percent for the U.S. The outlook is for no quick return to rates in the 4 percent range. Prospects for a weakened U.S. dollar, sluggish corporate profits, and no near-term return to past levels of business spending … [Read more...] about July 2002: Business Indicators

Declining business investment and manufacturing production brought the longest U.S. expansion on record to a close in March 2001. Before 2001 ended, however, the economy showed signs of a rebound. Indeed, there was only one quarter of decline in GDP, the third quarter of 2001, though the rule-of-thumb is that it takes two quarters of decline for a recession. Strong growth for … [Read more...] about June 2002: Business Indicators

The National Bureau of Economic Research declared in late November 2001 that the U.S. economy peaked in March 2001. Attention quickly turned to discussions of a recession and the likely length of the contraction trough. Typically, recessionary periods last at least six months, and usually longer, though in recent business cycles recessions have become shorter. Before Sept. … [Read more...] about May 2002: Business Indicators

Is it over? Has the decline come to an end? For some, especially the optimists, the recession has already ended. Wall Street analysts remain generally optimistic. On the other hand, surveys report businesses holding a pessimistic view toward performance during 2002. The official declaration of a business-cycle turning point tends to be made after a preponderance of … [Read more...] about April 2002: Business Indicators