Posts Tagged ‘December’
Euro zone retail sales flat in December
Eurostat has today revealed retail sales in the euro zone were unchanged in December from January.
The figures disappointed analysts who had expected a 0.4% rise in which is traditionally the busiest month of the year for retailers.
The latest figures highlight the fragile state of the economy and weak consumer demand.
On an annual basis, Eurostat [...]
US consumer spending up 0.2% in December
According to the Commerce Department, US consumer spending rose by just 0.2% in December after a 0.7% rise in November.
The rise in consumer spending, which makes up for more than two-thirds of overall economic activity in the US, was slightly under analysts expectations of a 0.3% gain.
For 2009, consumer spending fell 0.4% – [...]
Credit card borrowing soars in December
Figures from the Bank of England today revealed that new borrowing on credit cards, loans and overdrafts rose for the first time since June 2009.
Consumer credit rose £52 million in December, which surprised analysts who had expected a £400 million fall.
For the first time since June, borrowing outstripped the amount being paid back by [...]
Euro zone unemployment rate reaches 10%
Figures from Eurostat have today revealed that the number of people unemployed across the euro zone grew to 15.8 million in December.
The latest figures mean that the unemployment rate across the 16 countries that use the euro is 10% – the highest rate since 1999.
Analysts believe that the unemployment rate will continue to [...]
US new home sales in steep fall
The Commerce Department has today revealed a fall in sales of new homes in the US for the month of December – the second consecutive month that sales have fallen.
According to the Commerce Department, new single-family home sales dived by 7.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 342,000 units, down from a revised 370,000 [...]