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 March 2004 By Esme Friesen Here is our fourth 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 2003 4Q 2003 4Q 2003 4Q 2003 4Q Employment Rate (%) 94.3 92.6 91.2 94.4 Discount Rate (DDR) Jan 15, 2003 - Jan 14, 2004 (average†) 6.22% 5.68% 5.60% 4.74% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (in Billions US) 508.2 850.5 1775.0 10857.2 Current Balance (in Billions US) -1.56 5.05 -13.01 -135.0 Index of Service Companies 50+ is expansion N/A N/A N/A 60.8 Manufacturing Index N/A N/A 59.5 61.4 Business Inventories (in Millions) $97,663 N/A £15,195 N/A Retail Trade - By Volume (1995=100) 137.8 132.2 144.4 163.0 Retail Trade - change over prior quarter +7.4 +0.8 +6.3 +7.9 Retail Sales As at May 2003 (in Millions) $15,758 $22,836 £17,200 N/A On-line Sales Total 2002 (in Millions) $27,495 N/A N/A $12,283.7 Factory Capacity 77.1% 82.9% 83.2% 80.1% Wages and Salaries * (1995=100) 127.8 122.3 143.1 129.0 Change over prior quarter 0 +5.6 +3.2 +2.3 New Housing Construction (1995=100) 112.7 173.7 114.1 139.8 Change over prior quarter -11.3 +7.3 +1.3 +4.1 Productivity - Industrial (1995=100) 119.2 127.1 99.2 126.0 Change over prior quarter -0.8 +1.3 +2.5 +2.2 New Mortgage Applications (in Billions) $55,730 (Million) $517,547 (Million) N/A $1,119 New Vehicle Registrations (cars in Thousands) 48.9 64.0 160.8 588 12 month rate of change +4.3% -21.6% +5.2% -12.1% * Hourly earnings (manufacturing); N/A - Not available at time of publication 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