U.S. Census Bureau
Economic Indicator Calendar  |  Census Bureau Economic Programs

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U.S. retail and food service sales for September were $341.3 billion, up 1.5 percent from the previous month. (Released 10/15/04)

Previous

-0.2

% change
August 2004

Current

1.5

% change
September 2004

U.S. total business sales for August were $955.9 bil, up 0.7% from last month. Month-end inventories were $1,256.4 bil, up 0.7% from last month. (Released 10/15/04)

Previous

0.9

% Change in sales
July 2004

Current

0.7

% Change in sales
August 2004

The Nation’s international deficit in goods and services increased to $54.0 billion in August, from $50.5 billion (revised) in July, as imports increased more than exports.

Previous

-50.5

$ billion
July 2004

Current

-54.0

$ billion
August 2004

After-tax profits for retail corporations' with assets greater than $50 million averaged 3.3 cents per dollar of sales for the second quarter 2004, up 0.4 (+/-0.1)cents from the preceding quarter. (Released: October 13, 2004. Next: January 12, 2005)

Previous

-0.6

cents
1st qtr 2004

Current

+0.4

cents
2nd qtr 2004

August 2004 sales of merchant wholesalers were $275.8 billion, up 1.2 percent from last month. End-of-month inventories were $317.2 billion, up 0.9 percent from last month. (10/8/04)

Previous

1.5

% change in Inv
July 2004

Current

0.9

% change in Inv
August 2004

New orders for manufactured goods in August decreased $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent to $370.5 billion. (Released October 4, 2004).

Previous

1.7

% change
July 2004

Current

-0.1

% change
August 2004

Total construction activity for August 2004 ($1,015.3 billion) was 0.8 percent above the revised July 2004 ($1,006.9 billion). Please see our website for further details: http://www.census.gov/constructionspending

Previous

1.1

% change
July 2004

Current

0.8

% change
August 2004

Sales of new one-family houses in August 2004 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,184,000. This is 9.4 above the revised July 2004 figure of 1,082,000.

Previous

-7.3

% change
July 2004

Current

9.4

% change
August 2004

New orders for manufactured durable goods in August decreased $0.9 billion to $195.4 billion. (Released September 24, 2004).

Previous

1.8

% change
July 2004

Current

-0.5

% change
August 2004

Privately owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2,000,000 up 0.6% from the revised July 2004 figure of 1,988,000.

Previous

+9.4

% change
July 2004

Current

+0.6

% change
August 2004

Manufacturing corporations' seasonally adjusted after-tax profits averaged 6.9 cents per dollar of sales for the second quarter of 2004, up 0.5 (+/-0.1) from the preceding quarter. (Released: September 13, 2004. Next Release: December 14, 2004.)

Previous

0.0

cents
1st Qtr 2004

Current

+0.5

cents
2nd Qtr 2004

U.S. Information sector revenue for the second quarter of 2004, not adjusted for seasonal variation, holiday or trading-day differences, or price changes, was $230.1 billion, an increase of 4.4 percent from the first quarter of 2004.

Previous

-5.2

% change
First Qtr. 2004

Current

4.4

% change
Second Quarter 2004

Compared with 1967, the first year for which household income statistics are available, 2003 real (inflation adjusted) median household income is up 30 percent. Over this period, median income tended to rise and fall along with the business cycle. Real median income peaked in 1999, was unchanged in 2000, declined over the next 2 years (by a cumulative 3.3 percent), and was unchanged in 2003.

Previous

$43,381

in 2003 dollars
2002

Current

$43,318

in 2003 dollars
2003

For the third consecutive year the poverty rate rose, from 12.1 percent in 2002 to 12.5 percent in 2003. The number of people in poverty increased also, by 1.3 million, to 35.9 million in 2003.

Previous

12.1

percent
2002

Current

12.5

percent
2003

The homeownership rate in the second quarter 2004 (69.2 percent) was higher than the second quarter 2003 rate (68.0 percent). The homeownership rates in all four census regions were higher than their respective rates one year ago.

Previous

68.0

percent
2nd Qtr 2003

Current

69.2

percent
2nd Qtr 2004

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