The day continues to live up to expectations of chunky...

- PMI 49.9 vs 51.0 Consensus
- New Orders 50.6 vs 47.4 last month
- Employment 50.3 vs 52.0 last month

"The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported October's Chicago Business Barometer idled, up just 0.2 to a still contractionary 49.9. Business Activity measures reflected weakness in five of seven indexes, most notably as the rate of expansion in Production and Employment slowed while New Orders stalled near neutral and Order Backlogs remained in contraction."

BUSINESS ACTIVITY:

• EMPLOYMENT: 33 month low;
• INVENTORIES: slipped into contraction;
• PRICES PAID: inflation slowed a bit;

So far, on this first morning back on line after the...

- Employment Costs +0.4 vs +0.5 Consensus
- Wages/Salaries +0.3 vs +0.4 Consensus

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending September 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.3 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.8 percent.

The day continues to live up to expectations of chunky...

- PMI 49.9 vs 51.0 Consensus
- New Orders 50.6 vs 47.4 last month
- Employment 50.3 vs 52.0 last month

"The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported October's Chicago Business Barometer idled, up just 0.2 to a still contractionary 49.9. Business Activity measures reflected weakness in five of seven indexes, most notably as the rate of expansion in Production and Employment slowed while New Orders stalled near neutral and Order Backlogs remained in contraction."

BUSINESS ACTIVITY:

• EMPLOYMENT: 33 month low;
• INVENTORIES: slipped into contraction;
• PRICES PAID: inflation slowed a bit;

So far, on this first morning back on line after the...

- Employment Costs +0.4 vs +0.5 Consensus
- Wages/Salaries +0.3 vs +0.4 Consensus

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending September 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.3 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.8 percent.

- PMI 49.9 vs 51.0 Consensus
- New Orders 50.6 vs 47.4 last month
- Employment 50.3 vs 52.0 last month

"The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported October's Chicago Business Barometer idled, up just 0.2 to a still contractionary 49.9. Business Activity measures reflected weakness in five of seven indexes, most notably as the rate of expansion in Production and Employment slowed while New Orders stalled near neutral and Order Backlogs remained in contraction."

BUSINESS ACTIVITY:

• EMPLOYMENT: 33 month low;
• INVENTORIES: slipped into contraction;
• PRICES PAID: inflation slowed a bit;

- Employment Costs +0.4 vs +0.5 Consensus
- Wages/Salaries +0.3 vs +0.4 Consensus

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending September 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.3 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.8 percent.