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Chicago Fed national activity index slows in Dec Thursday January 29, 9:58 am ET NEW YORK, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said on Thursday its National Activity Index fell in December as employment and manufacturing slowed, although the index still points to above-trend growth. The index fell to +0.13 in December from an upwardly revised +0.68 in November. "Most of the December decrease can be attributed to a smaller contribution from output-related measures that month relative to November," including industrial production and manufacturing, the Chicago Fed said. "Only the employment-related category made a negative contribution,"...

Chicago Fed national activity index jumps in Nov. Thursday December 18, 10:00 am ET NEW YORK, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said on Thursday its National Activity Index jumped sharply in November to its highest level since March 2000, helped by improving industrial production. The index rose to +0.55 in November from an upwardly revised +0.19 in October. Much of the increase was due to rising factory production and upbeat reports from purchasing managers. But the consumption and housing category and sales and inventories also rose in November. The only major category to decline was...

Chicago Fed national activity index slips in Oct Thursday November 20, 10:00 am ET NEW YORK, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said on Thursday its National Activity Index for October slipped due mainly to a weak reading of industrial production. The index came in at 0.01 in October, from a downwardly revised 0.16 in September. Factory production ran below trend in October, and employment continued to drag on the index, despite recent reports of improvement in the job market. The personal consumption and housing components provided the bright spot for the month, lifting the overall...

U.S. economic activity cools in August-Chicago Fed Thursday September 25, 10:05 am ET NEW YORK, Sept 25 (Reuters) - A gauge of national economic performance slipped in August to reflect below-trend growth, mostly due to the worsening labor market and a pull-back in industrial output, the Federal Reserve Bank (News - Websites) of Chicago said on Thursday. The Chicago Fed's National Activity Index fell to -0.28 from an upwardly revised 0.05 in July. Any negative reading suggests economic growth running below trend, which most economists peg around 3.5 percent for gross domestic product. The slip in the index comes even...