FYI
Briefly..... Summer’s the perfect time to make lemonade.
-- Casual Living, 8/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
Briefly.....
Summer’s the perfect time to make lemonade. With high gas prices keeping more folks at home for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, now’s the time to make economic lemonade promoting the features of the grills you have to sell.
Labor Day no longer marks the end of grilling season, either. In fact, nearly three-fifths of grill owners surveyed by the Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Assn. said they use their grills year-round. New York-based Easy Analytic Software, Inc. projects a 15.6% increase in grill sales over the next five years. It may seem counterintuitive, but the economic doldrums we’re in could boost that increase by encouraging people to have fun grilling at home.
Unemployment
Seasonally adjusted annual rate
| National | 2008 | |
| June | 5.5% | |
| May | 5.5% |
Consumer credit outstanding
Percent change at annual rate
Seasonally adjusted
| 2007 | 2008 | ||||||
| Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q1r | Mar.r | Apr.r | Mayp | |
| r = revised; p = preliminary | |||||||
| Total | 5.6% | 8.2% | 3.9% | 5.0% | 5.9% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Revolving | 6.8 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 6.8 | 7.4 | -0.5 | 7.1 |
| Nonrevolving | 4.9 | 7.9 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 1.6 |
Covers most short- and intermediate-term credit extended to individuals, excluding loans secured by real estate.
Nonrevolving credit includes automobile loans and all other loans not included in revolving credit, such as loans for mobile homes, education, boats, trailers or vacations. These loans may be secured or unsecured.
Source: Federal Reserve
Housing
Unit numbers in thousands
Seasonally adjusted annual rate
| Permits | United States | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
|
May ’08 numbers are preliminary
Source: Bureau of the Census and National Assn. of Realtors |
|||||
| May ’08 | 969 | 141 | 145 | 456 | 227 |
| Change from May ’07 | -36.3% | -4.7% | -37.0% | -41.2% | -38.5% |
| Starts | |||||
| May ’08 | 975 | 147 | 123 | 479 | 226 |
| Change from May ’07 | -32.1% | -10.9% | -50.0% | -31.5% | -30.7% |
| New home sales | |||||
| May ’08 | 512 | 35 | 82 | 281 | 114 |
| Change from May ’07 | -40.3% | -57.8% | -42.3% | -35.0% | -43.0% |
| Existing home sales | |||||
| May ’08 | 4,990 | 910 | 1,160 | 1,910 | 1,020 |
| Change from May ’07 | -15.9% | -15.0% | -16.5% | -17.0% | -12.8% |
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Bill and Tom Wright founded Wright of Thomasville in 1961 on the idea that printing was a creative medium and the belief that "a promise made is a promise kept." The Wright brothers focused their attention on providing exceptional printing for the... more
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