BEA

Personal Income Hammered - Drops -3.6% for January 2013

The January personal income and outlays report is horrific.  Personal Income nose dived -3.6% from December and hasn't seen this big of a monthly drop since January 1993.  That's 20 years ago.  The blame is being laid on the payroll tax holiday expiration and December did see a rise in personal income also not seen since December 2004.  Disposable income is worse.   DPI dropped -4.0%, even when adjusted for inflation.   Ouch!

Personal Income Hit By Sandy, Real Consumer Spending Decreases -0.3% for October 2012

The October personal income and outlay's report is not good news. Consumer spending decreased -0.2% from last month, and when adjusted for inflation was a -0.3% decline for October. Consumer spending is another term for personal consumption expenditures or PCE.

2011 Annual Trade Deficit is 3.7% of U.S. GDP, China Goods 2% of U.S. GDP

The annual trade data out of the December trade report has some shocking results.  The 2011 trade deficit increased 11.6% from 2010.  As a percentage of GDP the trade deficit is returning to pre-recession levels.  The trade deficit is now 3.7% of U.S. GDP, up from 3.4% in 2010.  The worst was 2006, when the soaring out of balance, trade deficit was 5.6% of GDP. Below is a graph of the U.S. trade deficit as a percentage of U.S. annual nominal GDP.

 

trade deficit as gdp

 

Q3 2011 GDP 3rd Revision: 1.8%

Q3 GDP 2011 was revised down another 0.2 percentage points to 1.8%.. Consumer spending was revised significantly downward due to a large downward revision to medical expenditures. GDP was initially reported to be 2.5% for the third quarter, then revised to 2.0% on the second estimate report and now a measly 1.8% for the final, 3rd revision.

Trade Deficit for July 2011 - $44.8 Billion

The July 2011 U.S. trade deficit decreased $6.8 billion to $44.8 billion. This is a 13.11% monthly decrease in the trade deficit. Exports increased by $6.2 billion, or 3.61%, while imports decreased $0.5 billion, or 0.22%. China imports, not seasonally adjusted, increased 1.12% in July, creating a $27 billion trade deficit with China.

 

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