The BEA Wire | BEA's Official Blog

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in September 2018 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $53.3 billion in August (revised) to $54.0 billion in September, as imports increased more than exports.

Information; real estate and rental and leasing; and professional, scientific, and technical services were the leading contributors to the increase in U.S. economic growth in the second quarter of 2018.

For the first time, the Bureau of Economic Analysis is measuring the gross domestic product of the more than 3,000 counties in the United States. Prototype GDP statistics for each county will be published on our website Dec. 12.

Personal income increased 0.2 percent in September after increasing 0.4 percent in August. Wages and salaries, the largest component of personal income, increased 0.2 percent in September after increasing 0.5 percent in August.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2018, according to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the second quarter of 2018, real GDP increased 4.2 percent. 

GDP highlights

The estimates of GDP for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands show that real GDP—GDP adjusted to remove price changes—increased 25.1 percent in 2017, after increasing 28.2 percent in 2016.

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in August 2018 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $50.0 billion in July (revised) to $53.2 billion in August, as exports decreased and imports increased.

State personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased on average 4.3 percent in 2017, an acceleration from the 3.8 percent increase in 2016. The percent change in PCE across all states ranged from 6.9 percent in Idaho to 2.0 percent in North Dakota.

Personal income increased 0.3 percent in August, the same increase as in July. Wages and salaries, the largest component of personal income, increased 0.5 percent in August after increasing 0.3 percent in July.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018, according to the “third” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The growth rate was unchanged from the “second” estimate released in August.

The U.S. net international investment position decreased to −$8,638.5 billion (preliminary) at the end of the second quarter of 2018 from −$7,747.3 billion (revised) at the end of the first quarter.

State personal income increased 4.2 percent, at an annual rate, in the second quarter of 2018, a deceleration from the 5.0 percent increase in the first quarter. The percent change in personal income across all states ranged from 6.0 percent in Texas to 1.6 percent in Washington.