greenbooks · May 5, 2003
Greenbook/Tealbook
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of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This electronic document was created
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Content last modified 5/20/2009.
Confidential (FR) Class III FOMC
May 2, 2003
CURRENT ECONOMIC
AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS
Supplemental Notes
Prepared for the Federal Open Market Committee
by the staff of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Contents
The Domestic Nonfinancial Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Labor Market Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Productivity and Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Sales of Light Motor Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Manufacturers’ Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Purchasing Managers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Construction Put in Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Annual Benchmark Revision to Retail Sales and Inventories . . . 16
Tables
Changes in Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Selected Unemployment and Labor Force Participation
Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Labor Productivity and Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sales of Automobiles and Light Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Changes in Manufacturing Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Manufacturers’ Inventory-Shipment Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Equipment and Software Spending Indicators . . . . . . . . . 10
Charts
Private Payroll Employment Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Aggregate Hours of Production or Nonsupervisory
Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Labor Force Participation Rate and Unemployment Rate . 3
Employment-to-Population Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Persons Working Part-Time for Economic Reasons . . . . . 3
Days’ Supply of Autos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Days’ Supply of Light Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Average Value of Incentives on Light Vehicles . . . . . . . . 6
Michigan Survey Index of Car-Buying Attitudes . . . . . . . 6
Sales of Medium and Heavy Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Net New Orders of Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Recent Data on Orders and Shipments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Purchasing Managers - Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Purchasing Managers’ Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Nonresidential Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
-iiThe Domestic Financial Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Tables
Commercial Bank Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Selected Financial Market Quotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Supplemental Notes
The Domestic Nonfinancial Economy
Labor Market Developments
The labor market weakened further in April. Private nonfarm payrolls
declined 80,000, and the unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage point to
6.0 percent. Moreover, the average workweek of production or
nonsupervisory workers fell 0.3 hour in April, pushing the index of aggregate
hours down 0.7 percent to its lowest level since November 1998. In addition,
this week’s report on claims for unemployment insurance indicated that initial
UI claims were continuing to run close to 450,000 per week in the period
subsequent to the week surveyed for the April labor market report, a level
consistent with another sizable drop in payrolls in May.
In the payroll survey, job losses last month were concentrated in
manufacturing, which shed 95,000 jobs—more than double the average
monthly decline in the first quarter. Declines among manufacturers were
widespread, and the one-month diffusion index of manufacturing payrolls
slipped to 33.8, the lowest level since December 2001. Within manufacturing,
employment in transportation equipment fell 27,000 in April, partly as a result
of motor vehicle assembly plant shutdowns aimed at reducing high
inventories. In addition, the fabricated metals and the electronic and other
electrical equipment industries experienced sizable employment losses.
Employment declines last month were also evident in industries closely related
to manufacturing, including a cutback of 6,000 jobs in wholesale trade and a
loss of 14,000 jobs in the help supply industry.
Outside of manufacturing and related industries, the largest reduction in
employment occurred in transportation and public utilities, which lost
19,000 jobs in April. Air transportation and trucking and warehousing
accounted for most of these losses, while communications posted a second
small monthly gain following twenty two straight monthly losses. Retail trade
employment declined 10,000 last month after larger declines in previous
months.
Employment in services rose 21,000 in April, following two months of
declines. The services figure was held down by continued losses in hotels and
lodging and in amusement and recreation, both of which have experienced
much smaller seasonal buildups than usual. The construction industry added
18,000 jobs in April, after a similar gain in the previous month. Employment
in the finance, insurance, and real estate industry also increased last month.
Finally, governments added 32,000 jobs, largely as a result of hiring by local
governments for education.
-2-
CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT
(Thousands of employees; based on seasonally adjusted data)
2002
2002
Nonfarm payroll employment1
Previous
Private
Mining
Manufacturing
Construction
Transportation and utilities
Retail trade
Wholesale trade
Finance, insurance, real estate
Services
Help supply services
Total government
Total employment (household survey)
Q3
2003
Q1
Q4
-Average monthly change-18
31
-53
-91
-18
31
-53
-87
-38
4
-75
-88
-1
-1
0
1
-51
-39
-62
-36
-8
2
-4
-2
-14
-22
-13
-13
-14
-6
-46
-12
-5
-6
-9
-0
6
13
14
7
49
61
44
-32
7
-11
-1
-15
20
27
22
-4
Feb.
2003
Mar.
Apr.
-353
-357
-370
3
-58
-45
-39
-121
-3
12
-119
4
17
-124
-108
-88
0
-43
19
-9
-33
0
7
-29
-54
-36
-48
...
-80
4
-95
18
-19
-10
-6
7
21
-14
32
31
310
-291
303
-128
-60
339
Memo:
Aggregate hours of private production
workers (percent change)1,2
-0.2
Average workweek (hours)1
34.2
Manufacturing (hours)
40.8
-0.7
34.1
40.8
0.1
34.2
40.7
-0.4
34.2
40.8
-1.0
34.1
40.8
0.5
34.3
40.8
-0.7
34.0
40.5
Note. Average change from final month of preceding period to final month of period indicated.
1. Survey of establishments.
2. Annual data are percent changes from Q4 to Q4. Quarterly data are percent changes from
preceding quarter at an annual rate. Monthly data are percent changes from preceding month.
... Not applicable.
Private Payroll Employment Growth
Aggregate Hours of Production or
Nonsupervisory Workers
(Strike-adjusted data)
Thousands of employees
400
154
1982 = 100
154
300
300
152
152
200
200
150
150
100
100
148
148
400
1-month
0
3-month moving average
0
Apr.
146
-100
Apr.
-200
144
144
142
142
140
-200
-300
-300
-400
-400
140
-500
138
-500
146
-100
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
138
-3-
SELECTED UNEMPLOYMENT AND LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATES
(Percent; based on seasonally adjusted data)
2002
2002
Civilian unemployment rate
(16 years and older)
Q3
2003
Q1
Q4
Feb.
2003
Mar.
Apr.
5.8
5.8
5.9
5.8
5.8
5.8
6.0
Teenagers
20-24 years old
Men, 25 years and older
Women, 25 years and older
16.5
9.7
4.7
4.6
16.7
9.6
4.7
4.6
16.1
9.9
4.9
4.6
17.2
9.2
4.9
4.4
17.1
9.3
4.9
4.5
17.7
8.9
4.9
4.6
18.0
10.1
5.1
4.7
Labor force participation rate
66.6
66.6
66.5
66.3
66.3
66.2
66.4
Teenagers
20-24 years old
Men, 25 years and older
Women, 25 years and older
47.4
76.4
75.9
59.4
47.6
76.6
76.0
59.3
46.8
75.8
75.6
59.4
45.2
75.5
75.3
59.6
45.5
75.6
75.5
59.5
44.1
74.8
75.3
59.6
45.0
75.5
75.6
59.8
Labor Force Participation Rate
and Unemployment Rate
Percent
67.4
Percent
7.0
Participation rate (left scale)
67.2
6.5
Apr.
67.0
6.0
66.8
5.5
66.6
5.0
Apr.
66.4
Unemployment rate (right scale)
66.2
66.0
4.5
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
4.0
1999
2000
Percent
65.0
64.5
64.5
64.0
64.0
63.5
63.5
63.0
63.0
62.5
Apr. 62.5
2002
(Percentage of household employment)
4.0
3.5
2003
Persons Working Part-Time
for Economic Reasons
Employment-to-Population Ratio
65.0
2001
Percent
4.0
3.5
62.0
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
62.0
3.5
Apr.
3.0
3.0
2.5
2.5
2.0
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2.0
-4-
The rise in the unemployment rate in April was widespread, as most major
demographic groups experienced an increase. Meanwhile, the labor force
participation rate moved up 0.2 percentage point to 66.4 percent, still a very
low level.
Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private
nonfarm payrolls increased 0.1 percent in April. Over the twelve months
ending in April, the change in average hourly earnings was 3.1 percent, just
under the 3.2 percent rise recorded over the previous twelve months.
Productivity and Costs
Output per hour of all persons in the nonfarm business sector rose at an annual
rate of 1.6 percent in the first quarter, reflecting a 1.4 percent increase in output
and a 0.1 percent decline in hours worked of all persons. Over the four quarters
ending in 2003:Q1, productivity rose 2.3 percent, well below the preceding
year=s 4.4 percent advance and slightly below the average pace of productivity
growth since the mid-1990s.
Hourly compensation of all persons in the nonfarm business sector rose at an
annual rate of 3.5 percent in the first quarter. Over the past four quarters,
compensation per hour increased 3.3 percent, more than double the pace of the
preceding year. This acceleration likely owes in large part to the behavior of
stock options, whose exercise value probably fell sharply over the four quarters
ending in 2002:Q1 and contributed to that period’s low growth in compensation
per hour. Unit labor costs rose 1.9 percent in the first quarter and 0.9 percent
over the four quarters ending in 2003:Q1, following a 2.9 percent decline over
the four quarters ending a year earlier.
Productivity in the nonfinancial corporate sector rose at an annual rate of
5 percent in 2002:Q4 and 4.7 percent over the four quarters of last year, well
above the average increase since the mid-1990s. Hourly compensation rose
4.9 percent in the fourth quarter and 3.9 percent over the past year. Strong
productivity growth combined with moderate increases in hourly compensation
caused unit labor costs to fall 0.8 percent over the four quarters of 2002 after
falling 1.8 percent in 2001.
Sales of Light Motor Vehicles
Light vehicle sales moved up to an annual rate of 16.4 million units in April,
400,000 units above the pace in March. The rise was concentrated in sales of
domestically-produced light trucks, which increased by 0.6 million units. In
contrast, sales of domestically-produced cars and of foreign-produced cars and
light trucks fell in April.
Overall sales in April likely were boosted by the high level of incentives. Data
from J.D. Power and Associates indicate that average incentives in April were
-5Labor Productivity and Costs
(Based on seasonally adjusted data)
2002
2003 2002:Q1
to
Item
2001
1
1
2002
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
2003:Q1
1.9
1.9
1.2
4.0
4.1
4.2
1.8
1.7
4.2
5.8
5.5
5.5
0.3
0.7
-0.5
2.2
1.6
2.1
2.5
2.3
2.8
3.3
4.7
5.8
3.4
5.0
n.a.
n.a.
1.5
1.4
2.1
3.3
3.2
3.9
4.3
4.0
5.0
2.2
1.8
1.4
3.6
3.9
5.4
3.9
3.5
4.8
3.5
3.3
4.1
1.4
3.9
4.5
2.9
4.9
n.a.
n.a.
-0.4
-0.5
1.0
-0.7
-0.9
-0.3
2.4
2.3
0.7
-3.4
-3.4
-3.9
3.3
3.2
5.9
1.7
1.9
2.7
1.0
0.9
1.3
-1.8
-0.8
-1.3
-0.5
-0.1
n.a.
n.a.
Output per hour
Total business
Nonfarm business
Manufacturing
Nonfinancial corporations2
Compensation per hour
Total business
Nonfarm business
Manufacturing
Nonfinancial corporations2
Unit labor costs
Total business
Nonfarm business
Manufacturing
Nonfinancial corporations2
NOTE: Percent change from preceding period at compound annual rate.
1. Changes are from fourth quarter of preceding year to fourth quarter of year shown.
2. The nonfinancial corporate sector includes all corporations doing business in the
United States with the exception of banks, stock and commodity brokers, finance and
insurance companies; the sector accounts for about two-thirds of business employment.
-6Sales of Automobiles and Light Trucks
(Millions of units at an annual rate, FRB seasonals)
2002
2003
2003
2002
Q3
Q4
Q1
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
16.7
17.6
16.5
15.8
15.3
16.0
16.4
8.1
8.6
8.5
9.1
7.9
8.6
7.7
8.1
7.3
8.0
7.7
8.3
7.5
8.8
North American1
Autos
Light trucks
13.5
5.9
7.6
14.3
6.2
8.1
13.3
5.7
7.6
12.5
5.5
6.9
12.1
5.2
6.9
12.5
5.5
7.0
13.0
5.4
7.6
Foreign-produced
Autos
Light trucks
3.3
2.2
1.1
3.4
2.3
1.1
3.2
2.2
1.1
3.4
2.2
1.2
3.2
2.1
1.1
3.5
2.2
1.3
3.4
2.1
1.3
.40
.43
.41
.37
.38
.36
n.a.
Total
Autos
Light trucks
Memo:
Medium and heavy trucks
Note. Components may not sum to totals because of rounding. Data on sales of trucks and imported autos for the most
recent month are preliminary and subject to revision.
1. Excludes some vehicles produced in Canada that are classified as imports by the industry.
Days’ Supply of Autos
Days’ Supply of Light Trucks
Days
Days
80
100
Big Three
Mar.
Mar.
70
Big Three
80
60
Mar.
60
Mar.
50
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
30
40
Other
40
Other
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
20
Michigan Survey Index of Car-Buying Attitudes
Average Value of Incentives on Light Vehicles
Index
2800
Apr. 27
170
2100
160
1650
1200
Apr.
750
150
140
130
2001
2002
2003
Note. Weighted average of customer cash rebate and
interest rate reduction. Data are seasonally adjusted.
Source. J.D. Power and Associates.
300
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
120
-7-
roughly $2,200, the highest level in the three-year history of the series.
However, anecdotal reports from our industry contacts suggest that consumers’
response to incentives were weaker than expected last month.
Manufacturers’ Inventories
The book value of manufacturers’ inventories decreased at an annual rate of
$1.5 billion in March, following an upward-revised $23 billion accumulation in
February. Shipments moved up 1.9 percent in March, and the manufacturing
inventory-shipments ratio edged down to 1.32 months, a very low level by
historical standards. For the first quarter as a whole, manufacturers’ inventories
rose at an $8.6 billion rate, slightly above the pace of accumulation in the fourth
quarter.1
Stocks held by manufacturers of durable goods declined at an annual rate of
$6.7 billion in March, with a fourth consecutive month of large liquidations of
computers and electronic products more than accounting for this drop. For the
durable goods category as a whole, shipments rose 0.9 percent, and the stock-toshipments ratio moved down to 1.53 months. In the nondurable sector,
inventories increased at an annual rate of $5.2 billion in March, with no
noticeable movements in any particular category. Shipments of nondurable
goods increased 3 percent, and the stock-to-shipments ratio dropped to
1.08 months.
Revised data on orders and shipments of nondefense capital goods in March,
which were released with the report on manufacturers’ inventories, are
summarized in updated versions of the table and chart that appeared on pages
II-22 and II-24 of Greenbook, Part 2. Excluding aircraft, the change in new
orders was revised up from 3.2 percent to 4.4 percent in March, as a downward
revision in bookings of computers and related equipment was more than offset
by a large upward revision in orders of railroad rolling stock. Revisions to
shipments were small.
Purchasing Managers Index
The April reading from the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Report on
Business suggests that manufacturing activity contracted further last month.
The overall purchasing managers’ index edged down 0.8 index point to 45.4, its
second consecutive month below 50 and its fourth consecutive monthly decline.
The new orders diffusion index, the component of the overall PMI that is most
useful for forecasting near-term movements in industrial production, also was
below 50 for a second month, consistent with a moderate decline in
manufacturing IP last month. The diffusion index for new export orders was at
1. The pace of manufacturing inventory investment in the first quarter was a little weaker
than what the BEA had assumed for the advance GDP release.
-8-
Change in Manufacturing Inventories
(book value, billions of dollars at annual rate)
2002
Sector
Total manufacturing
Excl. aircraft
Durable goods
Lumber and wood prod.
Nonmetalic minerals
Primary metals
Fabricated metals
Machinery
Computer and electronic prod.
Electrical equip.
Transportation equip.
Motor vehicles
Aircraft
Furniture
Other durables
Nondurable goods
Food
Beverage and tobacco
Textiles
Textile products
Apparel
Leather and allied prod.
Paper products
Printing
Chemicals
Petroleum and coal
Rubber and plastics
Stage of Processing
Materials and supplies
Work in process
Finished goods
2003
2002
2003
Q1
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Q2
Q3
Q4
-12.8
-11.3
4.6
9.9
6.3
.5
8.6
9.3
32.8
6.4
4.3
5.3
23.0
24.8
-1.5
-2.2
-14.5
-.8
.0
-.5
-3.2
-5.0
-6.1
-.5
-.2
1.9
-1.6
.2
1.6
-7.8
-.3
.1
.5
1.4
-1.7
-1.9
-1.4
-5.7
1.6
-5.2
.0
1.2
6.9
-.5
.4
1.3
.1
.4
-1.0
-1.4
7.2
.1
5.8
.0
.4
-4.5
.5
1.0
1.3
-.4
-2.4
-6.4
-.1
1.6
.2
-.7
.3
.0
33.1
-1.2
.6
1.3
-.1
3.5
-3.4
-1.3
31.7
2.1
26.4
-.4
2.4
-5.1
.4
.3
2.3
-.8
-5.1
-6.2
.5
2.2
3.4
-1.0
.5
.8
-1.7
1.4
1.2
1.9
-.1
-2.4
-5.5
-.7
3.6
1.7
-1.8
-.6
-.4
-6.7
-.3
1.6
-.2
-.2
.3
-7.5
-.2
-.9
-4.5
.7
1.1
-.4
1.6
1.6
.2
-.9
.5
-.9
.0
-.6
.6
-.6
1.4
.2
12.5
1.6
.3
-.3
.4
.4
.3
-.2
-.4
4.7
2.2
3.6
-.6
-.3
-1.5
-.3
-.2
-.1
.3
.5
.7
-.9
1.0
.1
13.1
3.0
-.2
.4
.1
.8
.1
.6
-.2
3.9
1.9
2.8
-.3
-2.4
.6
.6
.4
.7
.2
.2
.0
-6.9
6.9
-.5
9.4
1.6
-.4
.3
.7
1.2
.2
.0
-.3
-1.4
4.9
2.5
24.7
3.8
.1
.4
.1
.4
-.1
.2
.1
13.6
2.7
3.3
5.2
3.6
-.4
.4
-.4
.7
.1
1.4
-.4
-.5
-2.0
2.7
-10.9
-2.5
.6
-2.4
-2.1
9.1
-7.0
5.8
7.4
1.3
3.7
3.5
-12.0
29.4
15.4
8.1
4.1
-8.0
4.2
5.5
13.2
-8.4
1.6
5.3
-9-
Manufacturers’ Inventory-Shipments Ratios
2002
2003
2002
2003
Sector
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Total manufacturing
Excl. aircraft
1.33
1.24
1.32
1.24
1.33
1.24
1.33
1.24
1.34
1.25
1.32
1.22
1.34
1.25
1.32
1.23
Durable goods
Lumber and wood prod.
Nonmetalic minerals
Primary metals
Fabricated metals
Machinery
Computer and electronic prod.
Electrical equip.
Transportation equip.
Motor vehicles
Aircraft
Furniture
Other durables
1.52
1.27
1.05
1.62
1.45
1.95
1.62
1.43
1.38
.53
4.38
1.24
1.78
1.50
1.28
1.05
1.62
1.44
1.94
1.60
1.42
1.33
.53
4.28
1.25
1.79
1.53
1.24
1.06
1.67
1.46
1.98
1.62
1.37
1.42
.56
4.56
1.26
1.73
1.53
1.28
1.10
1.71
1.48
1.98
1.56
1.42
1.42
.56
4.61
1.30
1.73
1.56
1.24
1.05
1.68
1.47
2.01
1.65
1.38
1.51
.60
4.85
1.23
1.71
1.52
1.27
1.04
1.67
1.48
1.98
1.56
1.39
1.41
.55
5.14
1.26
1.76
1.55
1.31
1.11
1.74
1.49
2.01
1.62
1.44
1.41
.57
4.38
1.30
1.76
1.53
1.26
1.11
1.73
1.48
1.97
1.56
1.43
1.42
.56
4.38
1.33
1.70
Nondurable goods
Food
Beverage and tobacco
Textiles
Textile products
Apparel
Leather and allied prod.
Paper products
Printing
Chemicals
Petroleum and coal
Rubber and plastics
1.10
.85
1.58
1.38
1.42
1.56
2.03
1.16
.74
1.37
.72
1.11
1.12
.86
1.61
1.39
1.49
1.58
2.03
1.11
.72
1.42
.72
1.17
1.10
.85
1.62
1.41
1.44
1.57
2.30
1.13
.74
1.37
.70
1.15
1.10
.87
1.62
1.45
1.50
1.64
2.17
1.12
.75
1.36
.63
1.21
1.10
.84
1.65
1.47
1.44
1.56
2.52
1.11
.74
1.37
.67
1.15
1.09
.85
1.63
1.40
1.50
1.58
2.24
1.11
.75
1.33
.66
1.17
1.11
.87
1.67
1.46
1.52
1.66
2.10
1.13
.76
1.38
.65
1.21
1.08
.87
1.56
1.48
1.49
1.64
2.16
1.09
.74
1.34
.60
1.20
322.5
324.2
323.4 326.3
321.0
327.3
Memo: Manufacturing shipments
(billions of dollars)
322.6 328.7
- 10 -
EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE SPENDING INDICATORS
(Percent change from preceding comparable period;
based on seasonally adjusted data, in current dollars)
2002
Q4
2003
Q1
2003
Feb.
Jan.
-Annual rate-
Mar.
- - -Monthly rate - -
Shipments of nondefense capital goods
Excluding aircraft
Computers and peripherals
Communications equipment
All other categories
-7.2
-6.4
-8.6
-12.6
-5.3
-3.9
-0.4
5.7
25.6
-4.2
1.1
3.1
19.7
8.3
-0.1
-1.4
-3.5
-14.0
-1.7
-1.8
1.4
1.6
-6.3
2.2
2.9
Shipments of complete aircraft
-33.7
n.a.
-8.5
37.5
n.a.
Medium & heavy truck sales (units)
-15.7
-32.0
-3.5
2.2
-5.6
-7.9
-1.4
5.4
26.3
-5.0
2.6
15.1
-16.2
191.6
7.8
1.9
5.2
0.9
46.9
1.8
-4.9
-2.4
-13.1
-0.0
-0.8
3.0
4.4
-0.7
0.6
5.8
Orders for nondefense capital goods
Excluding aircraft
Computers and peripherals
Communications equipment
All other categories
n.a. Not available.
Sales of Medium and Heavy Trucks
Net New Orders of Trucks
Thousands of units
700
Thousands of units
700
Annual rate; FRB seasonals
Classes 3-8
550
500
650
550
Annual rate; FRB seasonals
3-month moving average
500
650
450
600
600
550
550
500
500
450
Class 8
400
400
350
350
300
300
250
250
200
200
Classes 5-7
450
450
150
150
Mar.
400
350
100
100
50
50
400
Mar.
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Source. Ward’s Communications
350
0
1996
1998
2000
Note. Net orders are less cancellations.
Source. ACT Research Co.
2002
0
- 11 -
Recent Data on Orders and Shipments
Computers and Peripherals
Billions of dollars
11
11
Shipments
Orders
10
10
9
9
8
8
7
7
Mar.
6
5
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
6
5
Communications Equipment
16
Billions of dollars
16
13
13
10
10
7
7
Mar.
4
1
4
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
1
Other Equipment (Total Ex. Transportation, Computers, Communications)
48
Billions of dollars
48
46
46
44
44
42
Mar.
42
40
40
38
38
36
36
34
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
34
- 12 05-01-03
Purchasing Managers - Manufacturing
(Seasonally adjusted)
Index
Index
80
New orders
80
70
70
Production
60
60
50
50
Apr.
Apr.
40
New export orders
40
Employment
30
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
20
2004
2002
30
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
Index
20
2004
Index
100
80
Prices paid *
90
70
Supplier deliveries*
80
60
70
Apr.
60
Apr. 50
50
40
Inventories
40
30
30
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
* Positive entries represent slower deliveries.
20
2004
1992
1994
1996
1998
* Not seasonally adjusted.
2000
2002
2004
20
- 13 05-01-03
Purchasing Managers’ Index
(Seasonally adjusted)
Index
65
60
55
50
Apr.
45
40
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
35
2002
2004
Note. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is a composite index based on the seasonally adjusted diffusion indexes for five of the indicators
(New orders, Productin, Vendor deliveries, Inventories, and Employment) with different weights applied. Seasonal adjustment is done by the
U.S. Department of Commerce.
Customer Inventories*
Index
65
60
55
50
Apr.
45
40
1995
1996
1997
* Percent too high plus 1/2 (percent about right).
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
35
- 14 -
51.1 in April, a level indicative of expanding export orders but down 0.9 index
point from its reading in March.
The production index was about unchanged at 47 in April after dropping sharply
in March. The employment index, which has not exceeded 50 since September
2000, edged down further in April to its lowest level since December 2001. In
addition, purchasing managers continued to regard their customers’ inventories
as too low.
The diffusion index for prices dropped to 63.5 in April, with 37 percent of
respondents reporting higher prices paid for purchased commodities, a decline
of 10 percentage points from March. Nevertheless, prices were reported to have
risen for a broad range of energy products—such as diesel fuel, gasoline,
methanol, natural gas (also reported down in price), and fuel oil (also reported
down in price)—and energy-intensive commodities, including chemicals,
plastics, and resins. Corrugated containers, fuel oil, natural gas, steel, and wheat
were reported as down in price. Acetone was the only commodity listed in short
supply. The report indicated that the war in Iraq resulted in “few, if any,
consequences to supply chains.” Going forward, purchasing and supply
executives are primarily concerned with weak demand.
Construction Put in Place
The total nominal value of new construction put in place declined 1 percent in
March, after rising 2.2 percent in January and 0.2 percent in February. In
addition, estimates of the change in total construction spending in January and
February were revised up 0.2 percentage point and 0.4 percentage point,
respectively, as higher estimates for nonresidential and public construction more
than offset reductions in residential expenditures. For the first quarter as a
whole, nominal expenditures rose at a quarterly rate of 2.9 percent and real
expenditures increased at a quarterly rate of 1.2 percent. These data were a little
stronger than had been assumed by the BEA in its advance estimate of firstquarter GDP.
In the private sector in March, nominal residential construction outlays edged up
0.1 percent, after much stronger increases in the first two months of the year.
For the first quarter, spending on residential structures rose at a quarterly pace of
5.6 percent, with substantial increases in both single-family and multifamily
construction and a small rise in improvements.
Nominal nonresidential construction spending edged down 0.1 percent in
March. Nevertheless, for the first quarter as a whole, nominal expenditures on
nonresidential construction rose 1.4 percent, the first quarterly increase since
early 2001. The first-quarter rise reflected small upturns in outlays for industrial
structures and lodging and miscellaneous structures, as well as a healthy
increase in non-office commercial construction. Expenditures for office
- 15 -
Nonresidential Construction
(Seasonally adjusted, annual rate)
Total Building
Ratio scale, billions of dollars
225
225
165
Mar.
115
65
165
115
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
Other Commercial
1996
1998
2000
65
2002
Institutional
69
64
Ratio scale, billions of dollars
69
64
46
40
Ratio scale, billions of dollars
46
Mar.
40
57
Mar. 57
35
35
50
50
30
30
43
43
25
25
36
36
20
20
29
29
15
15
22
10
22
1985
1990
1995
2000
Office
1985
1990
1995
10
2000
Industrial
66
Ratio scale, billions of dollars
66
47
Ratio scale, billions of dollars
47
58
58
41
41
51
51
36
36
44
44
31
31
37
26
26
30
30
21
21
23
23
16
37
Mar.
16
Mar.
16
1985
1990
1995
2000
16
11
1985
1990
1995
2000
11
- 16 -
construction fell 2.9 percent in March and were down 2.3 percent in the first
quarter, after a decline of 4.7 percent in the fourth quarter.
In the public sector, construction spending dropped 3.5 percent in March. For
the first quarter as a whole, public construction was unchanged in nominal
terms.
Annual Benchmark Revision to Retail Sales and Inventories
The Census Bureau released revised data on retail sales and inventories that
incorporate new data on sales and inventories from the 2001 Annual Retail
Trade Survey (including revised information back to 1999) and use updated
seasonal adjustment factors. The Census also presented consistent monthly
estimates on a NAICS basis developed for the period since December 1997 for
sales and since January 1992 for inventories.
This revision pushed down the twelve-month change in nominal retail sales by
1.1 percentage points in 2001 and pushed up the twelve-month change by
0.1 percentage point in 2002. The percentage change in retail control, which
excludes sales at motor vehicle dealers and at building material and supply
stores, was revised down 0.3 percentage point in 2001 and 0.4 percentage point
in 2002. However, the increase in retail control in the first quarter of this year
was revised up, pointing to a 1/2 percentage point upward adjustment to the
BEA’s estimate of the annual rate of growth in real personal consumption
expenditures in the first quarter.
The book-value of retail inventories excluding motor vehicles was revised up
0.7 percent in 2001, 0.8 percent in 2002, and 0.7 percent in January and
February of this year. As a consequence of the revisions to sales and
inventories, the inventory-sales ratio was revised up slightly over the past two
years, although its general pattern is unchanged.
- 17 Commercial Bank Credit
(Percent change, annual rate, except as noted; seasonally adjusted)
Type of credit
Total
1. Adjusted1
2. Reported
3.
4.
5.
6.
Securities
Adjusted1
Reported
Treasury and agency
Other2
Loans3
7. Total
8.
Business
9.
Real estate
10.
Home equity
11.
Other
12.
13.
14.
Consumer
Adjusted4
Other5
Level,
Apr. 2003p
($ billions)
Q4
2002
Q1
2003
Feb.
2003
Mar.
2003
Apr.p
7.1
7.1
12.4
11.8
7.4
8.1
13.9
15.3
7.0
6.0
8.0
4.4
5,834
6,017
13.3
12.7
19.2
4.4
16.1
13.5
25.2
-2.6
11.9
14.0
17.1
9.5
26.3
29.8
30.3
29.1
11.1
7.3
11.2
1.4
14.3
1.5
26.7
-36.6
1,575
1,757
1,081
677
5.0
-6.9
13.1
36.7
10.8
11.1
-4.0
20.4
24.7
19.9
5.8
-5.9
13.4
26.2
11.9
9.4
-9.7
17.9
25.4
17.1
5.5
-8.7
7.3
38.3
3.6
5.7
-2.5
7.9
19.9
6.4
4,259
944
2,103
233
1,870
5.5
4.1
1.4
8.6
4.9
8.5
4.2
7.7
.3
2.2
7.4
17.8
-6.1
.5
33.4
-3.7
-.3
20.2
589
950
623
2002
2003
Note. All data are adjusted for breaks caused by reclassifications. Monthly levels are pro rata averages of weekly (Wednesday)
levels. Quarterly levels (not shown) are simple averages of monthly levels. Annual levels (not shown) are levels for the fourth
quarter. Growth rates are percentage changes in consecutive levels, annualized but not compounded. The conversion from a thrift
to a commercial bank charter added approximately $37 billion to the assets and liabilities of domestically chartered commercial
banks in the week ending May 8, 2002.
1. Adjusted to remove effects of mark-to-market accounting rules (FIN 39 and FIN 115).
2. Includes private mortgage-backed securities, securities of corporations, state and local governments, and foreign governments
and any trading account assets that are not Treasury or agency securities, including revaluation gains on derivative contracts.
3. Excludes interbank loans.
4. Includes an estimate of outstanding loans securitized by commercial banks.
5. Includes security loans and loans to farmers, state and local governments, and all others not elsewhere classified. Also includes
lease financing receivables.
p Preliminary.
- 18 -
III-T-1
Selected Financial Market Quotations
(One-day quotes in percent except as noted)
2000
2003
Change to May 1 from
selected dates (percentage points)
2001
2003
June 26
Sept. 10
Mar. 17
May 1
2000
June 26
2001
Sept. 10
2003
Mar. 17
Short-term
FOMC intended federal funds rate
6.50
3.50
1.25
1.25
-5.25
-2.25
.00
Treasury bills 1
3-month
6-month
5.66
5.94
3.19
3.13
1.13
1.12
1.08
1.10
-4.58
-4.84
-2.11
-2.03
-.05
-.02
Commercial paper (A1/P1 rates)
1-month
3-month
6.56
6.56
3.42
3.24
1.19
1.17
1.22
1.20
-5.34
-5.36
-2.20
-2.04
.03
.03
Large negotiable CDs 1
1-month
3-month
6-month
6.64
6.73
6.89
3.46
3.26
3.24
1.24
1.20
1.17
1.26
1.24
1.20
-5.38
-5.49
-5.69
-2.20
-2.02
-2.04
.02
.04
.03
Eurodollar deposits 2
1-month
3-month
6.63
6.69
3.41
3.26
1.22
1.17
1.26
1.22
-5.37
-5.47
-2.15
-2.04
.04
.05
Bank prime rate
9.50
6.50
4.25
4.25
-5.25
-2.25
.00
Intermediate- and long-term
U.S. Treasury3
2-year
10-year
30-year
6.54
6.35
6.22
3.59
5.14
5.55
1.66
4.05
4.98
1.51
4.06
4.97
-5.03
-2.29
-1.25
-2.08
-1.08
-.58
-.15
.01
-.01
U.S. Treasury 10-year indexed note
4.09
3.26
1.91
2.08
-2.01
-1.18
.17
Municipal revenue (Bond Buyer) 4
5.99
5.25
5.06
5.09
-.90
-.16
.03
7.38
7.19
7.64
8.40
12.30
5.62
5.68
6.30
7.11
12.72
4.24
4.40
4.92
6.27
11.20
4.16
4.37
4.80
5.85
9.63
-3.22
-2.82
-2.84
-2.55
-2.67
-1.46
-1.31
-1.50
-1.26
-3.09
-.08
-.03
-.12
-.42
-1.57
8.14
7.22
6.89
5.64
5.61
3.68
5.79
3.79
-2.35
-3.43
-1.10
-1.85
.18
.11
Instrument
Private instruments
10-year swap
10-year FNMA5
10-year AA 6
10-year BBB 6
High-yield 7
Home mortgages (FHLMC survey rate) 8
30-year fixed
1-year adjustable
Record high
2001
Change to May 1
from selected dates (percent)
2003
Stock exchange index
Dow-Jones Industrial
S&P 500 Composite
Nasdaq (OTC)
Russell 2000
Wilshire 5000
Level
Date
Sept. 10
Mar. 17
May 1
Record
high
2001
Sept. 10
2003
Mar. 17
11,723
1,527
5,049
606
14,752
1-14-00
3-24-00
3-10-00
3-9-00
3-24-00
9,606
1,093
1,695
441
10,104
8,142
863
1,392
365
8,163
8,454
916
1,473
399
8,698
-27.88
-40.01
-70.83
-34.20
-41.03
-11.99
-16.13
-13.14
-9.51
-13.92
3.84
6.20
5.77
9.15
6.56
1. Secondary market.
2. Bid rates for eurodollar deposits collected around 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.
3. Derived from a smoothed Treasury yield curve estimated using off-the-run securities.
4. Most recent Thursday quote.
5. Constant maturity yields estimated from Fannie Mae domestic non-callable coupon securities.
6. Derived from smoothed corporate yield curves estimated using Merrill Lynch bond data.
7. Merrill Lynch Master II high-yield bond.
8. For week ending Friday previous to date shown.
_______________________________________________________________________
NOTES:
June 26, 2000, is the day before the FOMC meeting that ended the most recent period of policy tightening.
September 10, 2001, is the day before the terrorist attacks.
March 17, 2003, is the day before the most recent FOMC meeting.
_______________________________________________________________________
BA:DAM
Cite this document
APA
Federal Reserve (2003, May 5). Greenbook/Tealbook. Greenbooks, Federal Reserve. https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_20030506_part1
BibTeX
@misc{wtfs_greenbook_20030506_part1,
author = {Federal Reserve},
title = {Greenbook/Tealbook},
year = {2003},
month = {May},
howpublished = {Greenbooks, Federal Reserve},
url = {https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_20030506_part1},
note = {Retrieved via When the Fed Speaks corpus}
}