Economic Insights – November 2016

Now, let’s consider what the data tells us about prospects for the economy in late 2016 and early 2017.

We’ll start with retail sales, which rebounded at a robust 0.6 percent in September, finishing the third quarter on a strong note.  Growth was led by volatile components, such as autos and gas stations.  However, the gains were also broad, with ten of thirteen major categories of sales growing in September. “Core” sales, which exclude autos, building materials, and gasoline, rose 0.2 percent in September and were up 3.1 percent from .....