Gauge of US economic activity up 0.4 percent

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer – 5 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A gauge of future U.S. economic activity rose in January for the fourth straight month, adding to evidence that the economy has strengthened in the new year.

The Conference Board said Friday that its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.4 percent in January. The increase pushed the index to its highest point since July 2008.

The measure of leading indicators is designed to anticipate economic conditions three to six months out. Its steady rise has coincided with other positive data that suggest the recovery is picking up.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest in nearly three years, after employers added 243,000 net jobs — the most in nine months. Auto sales are up, unemployment aid applications are down, and factories are cranking out goods at a healthy pace.

"Recent data reflect an economy that started the year on a positive note," said Ken Goldstein, an economist at the Conference Board.

Seven of the 10 indicators measure by the Conference Board increased in January, led by strength in the spread between short-term and long-term interest rates. Three indicators held the index back. The largest negative was a drop in consumer expectations.

Goldstein said a separate index that tracks indicators tied to the current health of the economy had shown some strengthening in the October-December period and in January.

The seven indicators that strengthened in January: the spread in interest rates, average factory hours worked per week, stock prices, a credit index, building permits, and two measures for manufactured goods.

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Thia is for you Combat....

 

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workforce participation at record lows [ and not being counted as unemployed ]

record numbers needing foodstamps

record low volumes in the equity markets

us debt [ the sugar high creating this false economic bump ] is over 100% of the country's GDP

40% of Americans that are employed work a minimum wage jobs

1 in 4 homeowners are underwater nationally


go go government managed economics

 

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Obama tripled the national debt and yet unemployment is still wayyyy higher than before Obama took office

 

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Is Aerlinthina copying you, or are you copying him with the inappropriate words shtick?

 

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The media narrative will match whatever is needed to sustain a big government corporatist paradigm, no matter how detached from reality it is.

You must be part of the media then right? That would explain a lot.

 

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Obama

 

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fascist totalitarian secular progressive Zionist intellectually challenged Christian puppets!

 

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Interesting how you have no problem citing THOSE records, though, but any positive news is obviously reaching.