Eurostat/ Annual inflation up to 1.8% in the euro area- 22 February 2017 In January 2017, the lowest annual rates were registered in Ireland (0.2%), Romania (0.3%) and Bulgaria (0.4%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Belgium (3.1%), Latvia and Spain (both 2.9%), and Estonia (2.8%). Compared with December 2016, annual inflation fell in two Member States and rose in twenty-six. The largest upward impacts to euro area annual …Read More

Eurostat/ EU28 current account surplus €17.8 bn- 17 February 2017 In December 2016, compared with November 2016, based on seasonally adjusted data, the surplus of the goods account increased (+€12.9 bn compared with +€10.4 bn), while the surplus of the services account dropped (+€11.2 bn compared with +€12.1 bn). The surplus of the primary income account fell (+€0.0 bn compared with +€0.4 bn) as did the deficit of the secondary …Read More

Eurostat/ Euro area international trade in goods surplus €28.1 bn/ 15 February 2017 The first estimate for extra-EU28 exports of goods in December 2016 was €164.4 billion, up by 5% compared with December 2015 (€156.1 bn). Imports from the rest of the world stood at €143.5 bn, up by 6% compared with December 2015 (€135.4 bn). As a result, the EU28 recorded a €20.9 bn surplus in trade in goods …Read More

Eurostat/ GDP up by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU28/ 14 February 2017 A preliminary flash estimate of GDP growth was published in News Release 20/2017 issued on 31 January 2017. This was based on a more limited data set than the one used for the present News Release and, additionally, on preliminary flash estimates for some Member States, which have now been revised. The …Read More

European Commission, (2017), “European Economic Forecast – Winter 2017”, European Commission Institutional Paper 048, January The European economy has proven resilient to a number of challenges. Last year saw an unusual string of economic, political and security events that could have dented or even derailed the recovery: concerns about growth in emerging markets, exceptionally weak world trade, terrorist attacks in some Member States and neighbouring countries, the UK’s vote to …Read More

Eurostat/ Monthly minimum wages below €500 in east and well above €1000 in northwest/ 10 February 2017 In January 2017, ten Member States, located in the east of the EU, had minimum wages below €500 per month: Bulgaria (€235), Romania (€275), Latvia and Lithuania (both €380), the Czech Republic (€407), Hungary (€412), Croatia (€433), Slovakia (€435), Poland (€453) and Estonia (€470). In five other Member States, located in the south, …Read More

OECD/ Employment situation, third quarter 2016, OECD/ 18 January 2017 The OECD area employment rate – defined as the share of people of working-age in employment – increased for the fourteenth straight quarter, to 67.0%, in the third quarter of 2016, up 0.1 percentage point on the previous quarter. In the same period, the OECD labour force participation rate (i.e. the share of people of working-age who are either employed …Read More

Eurostat/ Volume of retail trade down by 0.3% in euro area/ 24/ 2017- 3 February 2017 In December 2016 compared with November 2016, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade fell by 0.3% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.8% in the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In November the retail trade volume decreased by 0.6% in the euro area and …Read More

Eurostat/ GDP up by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU28- 31 January 2017 Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.5% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.6% in the EU28 during the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with the previous quarter, according to a preliminary flash estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the third quarter of 2016, GDP had …Read More