Monthly Editorial Departments

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

Nevada’s economy shows resilience from the events of September 11. A national recession and markedly changed behavior for travel and entertainment, to be sure, leave the Silver State on a more measured pace than in the past. Though adversity from the disruptions continues, signs of change are appearing. The movement of monthly employment levels, for one, shows that sharp drops … [Read more...] about March 2002: Business Indicators

Economic activity slipped in the latest Nevada indicators, clearly showing overall softening since the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The state’s visitor volume dropped by a double-digit rate compared with the same month a year ago. Expenditures, as gauged by gaming revenue, were also down, but not by as much as visitor activity. Expenditure-per-visitor rose slightly. … [Read more...] about February 2002: Business Indicators

The economic fallout from the September 11th terrorist attacks now appears in key data series, revealing both anticipated and unusual changes. Unemployment rates moved upward as anticipated, increasing most notably for Clark County (Las Vegas Metropolitan Area) from a pre-attack level of 5 percent to a post-attack level of 6.7 percent. With air travel halted and the attention … [Read more...] about January 2002: Business Indicators

Data available to monitor current overall economic conditions still reflect some pre-September 11 activity, rendering the current information less robust in its ability to predict the Nevada outlook. Still, announcements of decreased spending, layoffs, cancellations and postponements have been sufficient in the post-September 11 period to conclude that the longest economic … [Read more...] about December 2001: Business Indicators

The data on this page predate the terrorist attacks of September 11. Generally speaking, the national and regional economies show mixed conditions. With the events of September 11, however, expectations of recession have developed. Consumers have joined investors in taking a more cautious outlook in making future expenditures. The most recent data reveal similar conditions … [Read more...] about November 2001: Business Indicators

Stock-market analysts continue to speak in terms of a recession. Stock-prices indexes are down substantially from the peak of 2000. The overall U.S. economy, however, continues to grow, though at a modest rate. The official definition of a recession requires two quarters of decline of the overall economy. As of the second quarter 2001, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, adjusted … [Read more...] about October 2001: Business Indicators