Economic Data

Maryland economic development information is going high-tech.Yesterday, state officials unveiled M/Quest, a corporately funded, $1.5 million interactive marketing tool that will put a massive collection of the area's economic and demographic data at their fingertips so they can more easily sell the region to companies.The database would give businesses immediate access to information such as the state's median income, property taxes, wages and statistics on the labor market, officials said.

The nation's unemployment rate climbed to a level not seen since 1994 as employers cut 240,000 more jobs last month, signaling that the economy is heading into further distress. The jobless rate rose to 6.5 percent from September's 6.1 percent, the Labor Department said yesterday. And many economists warn of more job losses and grim economic conditions, portending a protracted recession. "The question is: How deep and how long?" said Robert Dye, a senior economist with PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.

Robert H. Strotz,72, retired president of Northwestern University, died Wednesday in Evanston, Ill. He joined the Northwestern faculty in 1947 and became a professor of economics in 1958. He was president from 1970 to 1985. Afterward, he served five years as chancellor. He wrote several books on economic theory and econometrics, the application of statistical and mathematical methods to the study of economic data and problems.William Roger Thompson, 63, a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, died Wednesday in Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON - In the most compelling proof yet that the U.S. economy is in recession, the Commerce Department reported yesterday that economic growth contracted by 0.3 percent during the third quarter of this year and personal consumption fell by the greatest rate in almost three decades. Personal consumption fell at a 3.1 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the worst showing since the recession of 1991. That was the lowest quarterly contraction in consumption since the 8.6 percent shrinkage during the second quarter of 1980.

Punch up: www.FreeLunch. com. Why it clicks: If you're hungry for economic data, there's an all-you-can-eat buffet every day. The download: Run by the folks who operate sister site Economy.com, FreeLunch.com supplies raw data and charts on a host of financial and economic topics. Demographics, labor markets, international trade, income and credit - all these and more are available in searchable and browsable form. So whether you're seeking an obscure item of inflation data, or wondering how much credit-card debt we're drowning in, pull up to the cafeteria counter at FreeLunch.

NEW YORK -- Even though recent economic data point to a recovery, a number of credit market analysts continue to assert that the Federal Reserve Board may cut short-term interest rates again by early June.The prospects for another Fed easing seemed to dim last week after the Labor Department reported that non-farm payroll employment rose by 126,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate slipped a notch, to 7.2 percent.The rise in employment was a bit larger than most economists had expected and was seen by some as evidence that the underpinnings of a recovery are now on solid ground.

WASHINGTON - In the most compelling proof yet that the U.S. economy is in recession, the Commerce Department reported yesterday that economic growth contracted by 0.3 percent during the third quarter of this year and personal consumption fell by the greatest rate in almost three decades. Personal consumption fell at a 3.1 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the worst showing since the recession of 1991. That was the lowest quarterly contraction in consumption since the 8.6 percent shrinkage during the second quarter of 1980.

NEW YORK -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the Fed is not necessarily done raising interest rates, as investors and the media interpreted his congressional testimony last week, CNBC reported yesterday. Bernanke said economic data will determine the Fed's rate moves, CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo said, referring to a discussion she had with Bernanke at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington Saturday. "I asked him whether the markets got it right after his congressional testimony and he said, flatly, no," Bartiromo said.

The nation's unemployment rate climbed to a level not seen since 1994 as employers cut 240,000 more jobs last month, signaling that the economy is heading into further distress. The jobless rate rose to 6.5 percent from September's 6.1 percent, the Labor Department said yesterday. And many economists warn of more job losses and grim economic conditions, portending a protracted recession. "The question is: How deep and how long?" said Robert Dye, a senior economist with PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.

Having declared last June that the recent recession had eliminated many more jobs than anyone had realized, the Labor Department is now canceling that view.The department says it overstated by 540,000 the number of jobs that were created in the late 1980s. And then it overstated how many jobs had disappeared in the recession.Not until early this year did the Labor Department realize that any of these figures were incorrect, and that data processing companies that deliver payroll information to the government had miscounted.

NEW YORK -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the Fed is not necessarily done raising interest rates, as investors and the media interpreted his congressional testimony last week, CNBC reported yesterday. Bernanke said economic data will determine the Fed's rate moves, CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo said, referring to a discussion she had with Bernanke at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington Saturday. "I asked him whether the markets got it right after his congressional testimony and he said, flatly, no," Bartiromo said.

Getting a bunch of economists to agree on anything is tough. Getting them to agree on which economic indicators are most important for investors is another matter entirely. Nonetheless, a group of the nation's top economic analysts offered their views to try to sort out which economic indicators are the most valuable for everyday investors to watch. And then they indicated which ones they found overrated, unhelpful or for some reason irrelevant in today's markets. As expected, it wasn't always pretty.

Punch up: www.FreeLunch. com. Why it clicks: If you're hungry for economic data, there's an all-you-can-eat buffet every day. The download: Run by the folks who operate sister site Economy.com, FreeLunch.com supplies raw data and charts on a host of financial and economic topics. Demographics, labor markets, international trade, income and credit - all these and more are available in searchable and browsable form. So whether you're seeking an obscure item of inflation data, or wondering how much credit-card debt we're drowning in, pull up to the cafeteria counter at FreeLunch.

The Nasdaq composite index suffered its third straight triple-digit point loss yesterday -- though it pared deeper declines -- partly because investors fear that stock prices of high-tech companies are overvalued in relation to the profits that they will deliver. "The smart money is fleeing before the rush," said Frederic Russell, president of Frederic E. Russell Investment Management Co. in Tulsa, Okla. "Earnings will be strong, but nothing will satisfy investors." The Dow Jones industrial average also fell yesterday, but only slightly, as investors continued to pull money out of high-tech shares to put the proceeds into "Old Economy" stocks, market analysts said.

Maryland economic development information is going high-tech.Yesterday, state officials unveiled M/Quest, a corporately funded, $1.5 million interactive marketing tool that will put a massive collection of the area's economic and demographic data at their fingertips so they can more easily sell the region to companies.The database would give businesses immediate access to information such as the state's median income, property taxes, wages and statistics on the labor market, officials said.

Robert H. Strotz,72, retired president of Northwestern University, died Wednesday in Evanston, Ill. He joined the Northwestern faculty in 1947 and became a professor of economics in 1958. He was president from 1970 to 1985. Afterward, he served five years as chancellor. He wrote several books on economic theory and econometrics, the application of statistical and mathematical methods to the study of economic data and problems.William Roger Thompson, 63, a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, died Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Getting a bunch of economists to agree on anything is tough. Getting them to agree on which economic indicators are most important for investors is another matter entirely. Nonetheless, a group of the nation's top economic analysts offered their views to try to sort out which economic indicators are the most valuable for everyday investors to watch. And then they indicated which ones they found overrated, unhelpful or for some reason irrelevant in today's markets. As expected, it wasn't always pretty.

The Nasdaq composite index suffered its third straight triple-digit point loss yesterday -- though it pared deeper declines -- partly because investors fear that stock prices of high-tech companies are overvalued in relation to the profits that they will deliver. "The smart money is fleeing before the rush," said Frederic Russell, president of Frederic E. Russell Investment Management Co. in Tulsa, Okla. "Earnings will be strong, but nothing will satisfy investors." The Dow Jones industrial average also fell yesterday, but only slightly, as investors continued to pull money out of high-tech shares to put the proceeds into "Old Economy" stocks, market analysts said.

A new airline is scheduled to begin service to Baltimore Washington International Airport next month, local businesses are predicting they will be hiring, consumer purchases of automobiles have increased and the commercial real estate market is stabilizing.It all points to recovery and growth, according to a midyear economic report from the BWI Business Partnership. Not booming growth, but slow, steady growth through the year's end."There's been slow growth, but there's been growth," said Neil M. Shpritz, who put the report together.

Having declared last June that the recent recession had eliminated many more jobs than anyone had realized, the Labor Department is now canceling that view.The department says it overstated by 540,000 the number of jobs that were created in the late 1980s. And then it overstated how many jobs had disappeared in the recession.Not until early this year did the Labor Department realize that any of these figures were incorrect, and that data processing companies that deliver payroll information to the government had miscounted.