| Today's Economy
LatAm Daily Briefing: Q1 Data Hint at Severity of Downturn Mexico’s preliminary GDP figures depict a deepening contraction. Europe Daily Briefing: Too Much for One Day GDP figures, CPI inflation, March unemployment numbers, and the ECB; wow! Coronavirus Crisis Deepens Mexico’s Recession in First Quarter Industry and services were the most affected activities. Pandemic’s Adverse Impact on Senior Facilities Demand Will Reverberate COVID-19 will make potential residents leery of U.S. senior communal living for some time. » VIEW MORE TODAY'S ECONOMY
Commentary
Europe Weekly Highlights and Preview, 30 April, 2020 March retail sales for the euro zone are set to fall 10.5%. Japan Outlook: Set for Recession in 2020 The COVID-19 outbreak has further weakened Japan's prospects of a near-term economic recovery. Hong Kong Outlook: The Worst Is Yet to Come The impacts of COVID-19 have hit the economy especially hard. The Implications of Aussie Consumers Retreating Household consumption, the backbone of the Australian economy, has pulled back. » VIEW MORE COMMENTARY
Today's Economic Indicators
Japan
Consumer Confidence
Apr. 2020: 21.6
Japan’s consumer confidence index took a nosedive in April, with the composite index falling to 21.6, down 9.3 points from March. France
GDP
2020Q1: -5.8%
France’s GDP slumped by 5.8% q/q in the first quarter after a 0.1% fall in the fourth, the sharpest contraction since records began in 1949. France
Household Consumption Survey
Mar. 2020: -17.9%
France's household consumption expenditure on goods tumbled 17.9% m/m in March due to the implementation of lockdown measures in the second half of the month. Germany
Retail Sales
Mar. 2020: -5.6%
Real, calendar and seasonally adjusted retail sales excluding motor vehicles dropped by 5.6% m/m after a downwardly revised increase of 0.8% in February. This resulted in a 0.4% decrease over the first quarter of the year. Germany
Unemployment
Apr. 2020: 5.8%
The German unemployment rate shot up to 5.8% in April from 5% in March. Italy
Unemployment
Mar. 2020: 8.4%
Italy’s unemployment rate ticked down by 0.9 percentage point to 8.4% m/m in March. Taiwan (Province of China)
GDP
2020Q1: 1.5%
The COVID-19 outbreak has hit Taiwan's GDP hard. According to advanced estimates, Taiwan's GDP declined to 1.5% y/y in the first quarter, down from 3.3% y/y in the previous quarter. Euro Zone
Preliminary GDP
2020Q1: -3.8%
Preliminary numbers showed that euro zone GDP slumped by 3.8% q/q in the first quarter after a 0.1% gain in the fourth, the worst result on record. Euro Zone
Preliminary Consumer Price Index
Apr. 2020: 0.4%
Preliminary numbers showed that euro zone inflation cooled to 0.4% y/y in April from 0.7% in March. Euro Zone
Unemployment
Mar. 2020: 7.4%
The euro zone’s jobless rate rose to only 7.4% in March from 7.3% in February, beating expectations for a sharper increase. Euro Zone
Monetary Policy
Apr. 2020: 0.0%
The European Central Bank stepped up to the plate and further eased monetary policy conditions during its April meeting. Brazil
Employment Situation
Mar. 2020: 12.2%
Unemployment continued to increase in March as the economy felt the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Chile
Employment
Mar. 2020: 8.2%
The national unemployment rate averaged 8.2% in the first quarter, sharply up from 7.2% a year earlier. Canada
Earnings, Hours and Employment
Feb. 2020: 3.7%
Average weekly earnings for total nonfarm employees in Canada were C$1,046 in February, largely unchanged from January's C$1,046 posting. Canada
Industrial Product and Raw Materials Price Indexes
Mar. 2020: -0.9%
Prices for products manufactured in Canada, as measured by the Industrial Product Price Index, decreased 0.9% m/m in March, driven primarily by lower prices for refined petroleum energy products. Canada
Industry Output
Feb. 2020: 0.0%
The Canadian economy stalled in February, with GDP remaining unchanged following three months of growth. United States
Jobless Claims
April 25: 3,839,000
Weekly initial filings for unemployment insurance benefits are declining, but they still number in the millions. United States
Employment Cost Index
2020Q1: 0.8%
The COVID-19 crisis hit the labor market toward the end of the first quarter, but the impact will not be picked up in employment costs until at least next quarter. United States
Personal Income
Mar. 2020: -2.0%
The beginning of widespread social distancing in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused personal income to fall. United States
PCE Deflator
Mar. 2020: -0.3%
The Federal Reserve should be concerned about the disinflationary pressures from COVID-19 and ensuring inflation expectations remain anchored will be key in steering the U.S. economy away from a deflationary trap. United States
Personal Spending
Mar. 2020: -7.3%
Real consumer spending tumbled more than expected in March as nonessential businesses were shut down and millions of consumers lost their jobs. Chile
Manufacturing Production
Mar. 2020: 0.62%
Chile's national industry started to lose steam in March as the coronavirus pandemic advanced in the country. Chile
Retail & Wholesale Sales
Mar. 2020: -9.0%
Chile’s retail and wholesale sales index dropped 9% in March, as the effects of COVID-19 took their toll on the economy. United States
St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index
April 24: 1.96
Financial stress increased for the first time in five weeks. United States
Natural Gas Storage Report
April 24: 70 bil cubic feet
The increase in natural gas stocks roughly matched analyst predictions, which means that this report will have little effect on gas prices. South Korea
Foreign Trade
Apr. 2020:
Colombia
Monetary Policy
Apr. 2020: 3.25%
Colombia’s central bank board cut the reference interest rate by 50 basis points after Thursday’s regular meeting. United States
Agricultural Prices
Mar. 2020: 3.1%
The Agricultural Prices Received Index increased 3.1% from February to March. » VIEW MORE ECONOMIC INDICATORS | 
