Business News  Business Roundups   Australia   Canada   Europe   United States  Careers  Classified  Feature Article  Information Technology  New Technology  Education News  World Facts  Book Reviews  Archives/Research Search Tell your friends about this page Receive articles in your mailbox Privacy Policy				World Facts Quarterly Report August 2004 By Esme Friesen Here is our fifth quarterly snapshot of the economy. If you have any questions, or would like to us to publish world statistical data on a particular topic, please email the editor at: editor@galtglobalreview.com. Values quoted in local currency Australia Canada UK USA 2004 1Q 2004 1Q 2004 1Q 2004 1Q Employment Rate (%) 94.3 92.6 95.3 94.4 Discount Rate (DDR) Jan 15, 2003 - Jan 14, 2004 (average†) 6.44% 5.24% 5.69% 4.75% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (in Billions USD) 509.2 855.6 1789.2 10965.8 Change from previous year % +0.2% +0.6% +0.8% +1.0% Index of Service Companies 50+ is expansion N/A N/A 57.1 59.9 Manufacturing Index 55.6 N/A 55.1 61.1 Business Inventories (in Millions) $99,424 $1,016 £152,200 $1,196,843 Retail Trade - By Volume (1995=100) 119.2 112.7 121.6 116.9 Retail Trade - change over prior quarter -7.7% -4.8% -7.4% -9.4% Retail Sales (in Millions) $16,168 $23,185 £14,196 $984,732 On-line Sales Total 2002 (in Millions) N/A $19,100 N/A $15,500 Factory Capacity 72.3% 842.9% 84.1% 76.5% Wages and Salaries * (1995=100) 118.2 109.4 116.6 112 Change over prior quarter +1.3% +0.2% +3.1% +0.9% Factory Orders (in Millions) $68,351 $49,000 N/A $1,050,792 Durable Goods Orders (in Millions) N/A $25,352 £20,900 $563,285 Business Investment ** (in Millions) $14,044 $31,833 N/A $960,700 New Housing Construction (1995=100) N/A 147.5 134.6 122.5 12 Month Rate of Change N/A +2.0 +1.3 12.5 Productivity - Industrial (1995=100) 104.5 110.8 94.9 99.1 Change over prior quarter -1.0 +2.7 +0.4 +6.3 New Mortgage Applications (in Billions) $101.32 N/A £345 $543 New Vehicle Registrations (cars in Thousands) 107.6 94.1 83.5 130.5 12 month rate of change -4.3% -1.8% +7.8% -2.5% * Hourly earnings (manufacturing); **Private investment in fixed assets; N/A - Not available at time of publication: † Average Commercial Interest Rate based on terms of lending Sources: OECD; Economy.com; Stats Canadat; Australian Bureau of Statistics: Jupiter Research; Institute for National Statistics; IDC Australia; ISM; IDC; Australian Industry Group; Real Estate Institute of Australia; Mortgage Bankers Association of America; Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply; Bureau of Economic Analysis; NTC Research;Council of Mortgage Lenders © Copyright 2004 Galt Western Personnel Ltd. Unless otherwise specified, you may reprint this article, quote from it, use it in research or projects, duplicate it or distribute it. Credit of authorship and source MUST be given to galtglobalreview.com. Ownership of Copyright remains with Galt Western Personnel Ltd.   Return to Top    Business News / Business Roundup - Australia / Canada / Europe / United States / Careers / Classified / Information Technology / New Technology / Education News / World Facts / Book Reviews / Archives/Research