Thursday, March 31, 2016

Factoid: US economic expectations in 2010

The WSJ today (A2) says that the US Government predicted in 2010 that growth from 2010 to 2015 would be 3.9%/yr and unemployment would drop from 10% to 5.9%. Growth was 2.1%/yr and unemployment dropped to 4.9%. The difference between growth and unemployment is anomalous; perhaps we are mismeasuring one or the other.

Factoid: Surprising increase in US gasoline demand

Today's WSJ reported that US gasoline demand in the 4 weeks ending last Friday averaged 9.4 million BPD, which is a summer peak-like level. (8.8 mn BPD in same period in 2014 and 2015.) Lower prices are having their logical effect. (Total oil demand was 19.4 mn BPD in 2015.)