By Kyle Cheng
 Download the February “Industry Indicators Report” available for free at www.sema.org/research. |
Where is the U.S. economy heading? The answer to that question isn’t easy or clear.
On some fronts, there’s tremendous strength. The economy added more than 300,000 new jobs in January, despite the government shutdown. This marks the 100th consecutive month of job gains—the longest streak on record. Additionally, there was more industrial production in December than any other month in history.
In other areas, however, there is continued growth but at a slower pace. Vehicle sales were down 5.1% in January from the previous month, and 3% from a year ago. Additionally, consumer sentiment also dropped last month.
The outlook for the next few months remains solid, but uncertainties intensify after that. The potential of a government shutdown intensifies the uncertainty.
To learn more, download the February “Industry Indicators Report”—now available for free at www.sema.org/research.