Menu

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index™ (LEI) for Germany increased 1.2 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index™ (CEI) increased 0.2 percent in September.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index™ (LEI) for France increased 1.2 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index™ (CEI) remained unchanged in September.

The first estimate for the euro area (EA16) trade balance with the rest of the world in September 2009 gave a 3.7 bn euro surplus, compared with -6.0 bn in September 2008. The August 20092 balance was -2.3 bn, compared with -10.8 bn in August 2008. In September 2009 compared with August 2009, seasonally adjusted exports rose by 5.5% and imports by 1.1%.

In the first half of 2009 the value of EU27 exports to Russia fell to 31 bn euro, compared with 51 bn in the first half of 2008, and imports decreased to 52 bn from 91 bn. As a result, the EU27 trade deficit with Russia dropped from 40 bn in the first half of 2008 to 21 bn in the same period of 2009. This reduction was mainly due to a significant decrease in the energy deficit (-37 bn compared with -62 bn), partially offset by a lower surplus for machinery and vehicles (+13 bn compared with +25 bn).

Euro area annual inflation was -0.1% in October 2009, up from -0.3% in September. A year earlier the rate was 3.2%. Monthly inflation was 0.2% in October 2009.

GDP increased by 0.4% in the euro area (EA16) and by 0.2% in the EU27 during the third quarter of 2009, compared with the previous quarter, according to flash estimates published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In the second quarter of 2009, growth rates were -0.2% in the euro area and -0.3% in the EU27.

In September 2009 compared with August 2009, seasonally adjusted industrial production grew by 0.3% in the euro area (EA16) and by 0.2% in the EU27. In August production increased by 1.2% and 0.8% respectively.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index™ (LEI) for Spain increased 1.8 percent. The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index™ (CEI) decreased 0.2 percent in August.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index™ (LEI) for the U.K. increased 1.0 percent, and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index™ (CEI) increased 0.2 percent in September.

The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) recorded a total of 326 cases of restructuring in the European Union between 1 July and 30 September 2009, involving some 119,000 announced job losses and 36,000 announced job gains. Restructuring activity as captured by the European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) has continued to reflect more normal levels of activity in the recent quarter. The surge in restructuring-related job loss that the ERM captured in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 shows no sign of returning. Although most economic indicators point to an end of the economic downturn, it is unclear how labour markets will fare once public stimulus programmes have come to an end.