Economic Reports
Sales of new one-family houses in May 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 342,000. This is 0.6% below the revised April 2009 estimate of 344,000.
May 2009: -0.6 % change
April 2009: +2.7 % change
New orders for manufactured durable goods in May increased $2.8 billion or 1.8 percent to $163.9 billion.
May 2009: 1.8 % change
April 2009: 1.8 % change
After-tax profits for retail corporations with assets greater than $50 million averaged 1.7 cents per dollar of sales for the first quarter 2009 (the 3 months ending Apr. 30, 2009), up 2.0 (+/- 0.1) cents from the after-tax losses average of 0.3 cents for the fourth quarter 2008 (the 3 months ending Jan. 31, 2009).
1st Qtr. 2009: +2.0 cents
4th Qtr. 2008: -1.9 cents
Privately-owned housing starts in May 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 532,000. This is 17.2 percent above the revised April 2009 estimate of 454,000.
May 2009: +17.2 % change
April 2009: -12.9 % change
Manufacturing corporations’ seasonally adjusted after-tax profits averaged 3.2 cents per dollar of sales for the first quarter of 2009, up 8.2 (+/- 0.1) cents from the after-tax losses average of 4.9 cents for the fourth quarter of 2008.
1st Qtr 2009: +8.2 cents
4th Qtr 2008: -12.1 cents
U.S. total business sales for April were $966.8 billion, down 0.3% from last month. Month-end inventories were $1,384.7 billion, down 1.1% from last month.
April 2009: -0.3 % Change in sales
March 2009: -1.6 % Change in sales
U.S. retail and food service sales for May reached $340.0 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent from the previous month.
May 2009: +0.5 % change
April 2009: -0.2 % change
U.S. Information sector revenue for the first quarter of 2009, adjusted for seasonal variation but not for price changes, was $275.3 billion, a decrease of 0.9 percent (+/- 0.5) from the fourth quarter of 2008.
1st Qtr 2009: 0.9 % change
4th Qtr 2008: -1.6 % change
The Nation’s international deficit in goods and services increased to $29.2 billion in April from $28.5 billion (revised) in March, as exports decreased more than imports.
April 2009: -29.2 $ billion
March 2009: -28.5 $ billion
April 2009 sales of merchant wholesalers were $309.4 billion, down 0.4 percent from last month. End-of-month inventories were $405.4 billion, down 1.4 percent from last month.
April 2009: -1.4 % change in Inv
March 2009: -1.8 % change in Inv
New orders for manufactured goods in April increased $2.5 billion or 0.7 percent to $344.4 billion.
April 2009: 0.7 % change
March 2009: -1.9 % change
Total construction activity for April 2009 ($968.7 billion) was 0.8 percent above the revised March 2009 ($961.3 billion). Please see our web site for further details: http://www.census.gov/constructionspending
April 2009: 0.8 % change
March 2009: 0.4 % change
Homeownership Rate (HR)
The homeownership rate (67.3 percent) for the current quarter was lower than the rate in first quarter 2008 (67.8 percent), but not statistically different from the rate in fourth quarter 2008
(67.5 percent).
Rental Vacancy Rate (RVR)
The rental vacancy rate in first quarter 2009 (10.1 percent) was not statistically different from the first quarter 2008 rate (10.1 percent).
Homeowner Vacancy Rate (HVR)
The homeowner vacancy rate in first quarter 2009 (2.7 percent) was lower than the first quarter 2008 rate (2.9 percent).
1st Qtr 2009
(HR): 67.3 percent
1st Qtr 2008
(HR): 67.8 percent
