Euro zone industrial orders rise 3.1 percent in June from May, down in wider EU

August 31st, 2009 Euro zone prices fall again in AugustBRUSSELS — Euro zone prices fell more slowly in August from a year ago, a sign that the worst of the economic downturn may be over, the EU statistics agency Eurostat said Monday. Inflation in the 16 countries that use the euro stayed negative for the third consecutive month in August as prices shrank 0.2 percent, far less than an 0.7 percent drop in July.

August 28th, 2009 European business, consumer confidence up againLONDON — Business and consumer confidence in the 16-nation euro zone increased again in August, official data showed Friday, suggesting the region is slowly recovering from one of the worst economic downturns in decades. Eurostat, the European Union's statistics agency, said its measure of business sentiment for the euro-zone rose to -2.21 points in August from -2.70 points the previous month.

August 13th, 2009 Euro area economy contracted only 0.1 pct in Q2LONDON — The recession in the 16 countries that use the euro eased substantially between April and June after unexpected growth in Germany and France, the euro zone's two largest economies, official figures showed Thursday. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat revealed that the euro zone's gross domestic product fell by only 0.1 percent in the second quarter from the previous three month period.

August 12th, 2009 BRUSSELS - Industrial production in the 16-nation euro area posted a monthly decline of 0.6 percent in June and plummeted by 17 percent when compared to the same month last year, data released Wednesday showed. The European Union statistics office (Eurostat) said month-on-month output in the 27-member European Union also fell, by 0.2 percent.

August 6th, 2009 German industrial orders rise againBERLIN — German industrial orders saw their second consecutive strong month-on-month rise in June, a 4.5 percent climb that was led by demand from other European countries, official figures showed Thursday. The increase followed rises of 4.4 percent in May and 0.1 percent in April.

August 5th, 2009 Factory orders rise unexpectedly in JuneWASHINGTON — Factory orders rose in June for the fourth time in five months, an unexpected gain and the latest sign that the ailing manufacturing sector is recovering. The Commerce Department says factory orders rose 0.4 percent, after a 1.1 percent increase in May.

August 5th, 2009 Euro retail sales fall 0.2 pct in JuneBRUSSELS — The European Union says retail sales in the 16 nations that use the euro fell 0.2 percent in June from a month earlier, showing that consumers are wary of spending as unemployment hits a 10-year high. Shoppers cut back spending both on daily essentials such as food, drink and tobacco and on non-food items such as clothing, electronics and medicines.

July 31st, 2009 Euro-zone prices fall for second monthBRUSSELS — The EU statistics agency says euro-zone consumer prices fell 0.6 percent in July from a year ago. Lower demand for energy and other goods has caused prices to plunge in the region, according to figures released Friday.

July 30th, 2009 Euro economy confidence hits 8-month highBRUSSELS — Business and consumer confidence in the 16 nations that use the euro surged in July to the most optimistic levels since November, the EU statistics agency Eurostat said Thursday. The level of the survey — at 76 in July from 73.2 in June — is still far below the long-term average and industrial activity remains weak as factories lie idle, the agency warned.

July 14th, 2009 Euro industry output down 17 pct in MayBRUSSELS — Industrial output in the 16 nations that use the euro sank 17 percent in May from a year earlier, the EU statistics agency said Tuesday, a somewhat milder drop than in the previous two months. Demand for European goods at home and abroad has slumped dramatically during the downturn.

July 7th, 2009 German industrial orders rise in MayBERLIN — German industrial orders increased by a healthy 4.4 percent in May over the previous month, with demand from outside Europe rising the most strongly, government figures showed Tuesday. The strong performance followed a minimal 0.1 percent increase in April and adds to other indications that the outlook for Germany's export-dependent economy — Europe's biggest — is becoming rosier.

July 3rd, 2009 Euro zone retail sales down 0.4 percent in MayLONDON — Retail sales fell in May in the 16 countries that use the euro, in a further sign that consumers aren't optimistic about their future in the midst of a deep and widespread recession. Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, says retail sales in the euro zone fell by 0.4 percent from the previous month.

July 2nd, 2009 Euro zone unemployment hits 10-year high in MayLONDON — Unemployment in the 16 countries that use the euro spiked to a ten-year high in May, reinforcing concerns any recovery will take time now that more than 15 million people are out of work. Eurostat, the statistics office of the EU, said Thursday the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for the euro zone in May stood at 9.5 percent of the work force, up from April's 9.3 percent.

June 12th, 2009 Euro zone industrial output slumps in AprilLONDON — Industrial production in the 16 countries that use the euro slumped in April, official figures showed Friday, stoking fears that the euro zone remains in the grip of recession despite signs elsewhere that a recovery of sorts may be underway. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat said a 1.9 percent drop in April — the eighth consecutive monthly fall — pushed the annual rate of decline down to a record 21.6 percent.

May 13th, 2009 Euro zone industrial output shrinks 2 pct in MarchLONDON — The 16 countries that use the euro currency saw industrial output shrink by 2 percent in March from the previous month, pushing the annual rate of decline to a new record, the EU's statistics office said Wednesday. The drop was far bigger than expected.