ECO 111-Macroeconomics Project FALL 2017 Each student has to select 5 economic s

Question

ECO 111-Macroeconomics Project

FALL 2017

Each student has to select 5 economic statistics. A list is provided below. You have to track the economic statistics from January 2015 to November 2017 (November 2017 statistical data is released in December 2017). For each one, you have to write a paragraph on how the economic statistic performed over the three plus year period. Did it go up, go down or remain the same. Use Excel or another spreadsheet (Google has free spreadsheets) to graph the data from January 2015 to November 2017.

To summarize:

1. Select 5 separate economic statistics.

2. For each one write a complete definition of that statistic. (2 or 3 sentences should give a complete definition.)

3. Track the data for 34 months—January 2015 to November 2017. Most of the data comes out once a month, but some, such as GDP, comes out quarterly. The historical data is available on the web. (See list of economic data web sites.)

4. Write a paragraph or two on the data. Did it go up, stay the same, go down, or go up and down?

5. Put the data in a spreadsheet and show a graph (line graph is preferable).

6. Write an overall summary of no more than one page on how the economy performed over the last year. Did it go up, did it go down, or remain the same?? Base your analysis primarily on your 5 selected statistics. But you can bring in other data to support your conclusions.

7. You cannot use more than one set of data from a class of data. For example, if you use the Consumer Price Index you cannot use another inflation statistic such as the Producer Price Index. They tend to run in the same direction, making the differences meaningless in interpreting the economic direction of the country. If you have a question on choosing a specific set of data, ask me for my opinion.

The project is due on Monday Decmeber 11. 2017 at 11 PM. Every day the project is late, 10 points will be deducted from the grade. The entire project is worth 100 points. If the project is not completed to the instructor’s satisfaction or not completed at all, then the student will receive a grade of “F” for the entire semester.

Economic statistics:

1. Unemployment statistics (monthly)                                                                                

2. Consumer Price Index—CPI—(monthly) (must use 12-month percent change)                                                                                                     

3. Producer Price Index—PPI—(monthly) (must use 12-month percent change)                                                                                            

4. Car Sales (monthly)                                                                                                         

5. Housing Permits (monthly)                                                                                 

6. Housing Starts (monthly)                                                                                                 

7. Retail Sales (monthly)                                                                                                     

8. Unemployment claims (monthly)                                                                                    

9. Consumer Confidence (monthly)                                                                                    

10. Orders for Durable Goods (monthly)                                                                             

11. GDP (quarterly)                                                                                                               

12. Change in Inventories (monthly)                                                                                    

13. Manufacturing (monthly)

14. Federal Funds Rate (Take the rate for every other Wednesday. Thus you will have approximately 22 data points.)

15. Other economic data---I must approve the selection.

http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpid1005.pdf

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis—FRED data series (FRED has an APP for the

I-phone and the I-Pad.)

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/

Some web sites: www.bls.gov        www.federalreserve.gov    www.economicindicators.gov     http://ycharts.com

You can log on Google to find other sites.  

Explanation / Answer

1. Unemployment statistics- 4.4% unemployment rate in March 2017 report

2- Consumer Price Index—CPI=1.99% March

3-Producer Price Index—PPI- 2.3%

4- Car sales increased to 16.88 Million in April from 16.62 Million in March of 2017

5-Building permits in the United States rose 4.2 percent month-over-month

6-Housing starts in the United States slumped 6.8 percent

7-Retail sales in the United States decreased by 0.2 percent month-over-month in March 2017

8-The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits decreased by 19 thousand to 238 thousand in the week ended April 29th, 2017 from the previous week's unrevised level of 257 thousands.

9-97 in April 2017 from 96.9 in March

10-durable goods went up 0.7 percent month-over-month in March of 2017,

11-GDP growth rate -0.70%

12-The stocks of goods held by firms in the United States increased by 10.30 USD Billion in the first quarter of 2017

13-The seasonally adjusted Markit final US Manufacturing PMI fell to 52.8 in April 2017 from 53.3 in March

14-The Federal Reserve left the target range for its federal funds rate steady at 0.75 percent to 1 percent during its May 2017.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse E
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.