Press Releases

by RAYMOND J. KEATING- The latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau showed retail and food services sales roaring back in March, after a decline in February. Retail and food services sales jumped by 9.8 percent in March. That came after a decline of 2.7 percent in February and another strong gain in January of […]

by RAYMOND J. KEATING- U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) doesn’t seem to like large businesses and mergers. He also isn’t too fond, apparently, of the work economists can do in terms of informing public policy on such matters. Senator Hawley has just introduced the “Trust-Busting for the Twenty-First Century Act.” If the title sounds a […]

  by Raymond J. Keating- The latest edition of the Fed’s “Beige Book” pointed to the improvement in the economy accelerating some from late in February to early April. Based on interviews with “key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources,” it was reported that consumer spending “strengthened,” tourism was “more upbeat,” auto sales […]

  by RAYMOND J. KEATING- According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the Consumer Price Index jumped by 0.6 percent in March. It was the largest monthly increase since June 2009.  And that leap up came after things were running relatively hot in February (+0.4 percent) and in January (+0.3 percent.)  Over […]

A Hopeful Spring: Vaccine Successes and Outlook WEBINAR – April 13 1:00 p.m. ET   The Travelers Institute will welcome Brown University School of Public Health Dean Ashish Jha, M.D., MPH, to share his outlook for containing the global pandemic on the next “Wednesday with Webinar” series. Dr. Jha will provide an update on COVID-19 […]

by Raymond J. Keating- Even as the economy improved during the first quarter of this year, trade did continue to struggle in February, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. After suffering steep declines in both exports and imports during February to May of last year, a recovery subsequently began […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The latest consumer credit numbers point to growing confidence among consumers. While retails sales were down in February (in part due to weather issues), consumer credit actually spiked up – after being flat in January. Specifically, the Federal Reserve reported: “In February, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate […]

In an April 4 Op-ed in the International Business Times, SBE Council president & CEO Karen Kerrigan provides a snapshot on the current state of small business, and how vaccines are playing a critical role in driving momentum for economic recovery on Main Street. In the piece, she notes the importance of sound policies that […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The latest information from surveys on the services sector offers more good news on the direction of our economy. All Services Industries Report Growth The Institute for Supply Management’s Services PMI registered an all-time high in March 2021 at 63.7 percent, which was up by eight percentage points from February. The […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The latest employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that March registered as a strong month in terms of recovering lost jobs, as well as gains in at least one measure of entrepreneurship. Information from both surveys – i.e., the establishment survey and the household survey – pointed […]