Index points to steady economic growth in March
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) was unchanged at –0.19 in March. Three of the four broad categories of indicators used to construct the index made negative contributions in March, and two categories deteriorated from February. The index’s three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, increased to +0.01 in March from –0.09 in February.
Production-related indicators contributed –0.08 to the CFNAI in March, down from +0.04 in February. Manufacturing production decreased 0.5 percent in March after increasing 0.6 percent in February.
The contribution of the sales, orders, and inventories category to the CFNAI moved up to –0.02 in March from –0.09 in the previous month.
Employment-related indicators contributed +0.01 to the CFNAI in March, up from –0.09 in February. The unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5 percent in March from 3.6 percent in February. The contribution of the personal consumption and housing category to the CFNAI moved down to –0.10 in March from –0.05 in February.
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INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
