Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Rail Time Indicators: A Review of Key Economic Trends

Association of American Railroads
April 2009

Did you know that ...

*The decline in the value of the dollar in 2007 and 2008 was a major reason for a surge in U.S. grain and coal exports (much of them carried by rail) in those years. If the dollar continues to strengthen, U.S. exports are sure to be affected.

*Housing starts in March 2009 were down 11% from February 2009 to 510,000 on an annualized basis, the second-lowest level (behind January 2009) since record keeping began in 1959.

*Total retail sales in March 2009 were down 1.1% from February 2009, down 9.4% from March 2008, and about equal to the level of October 2005. March’s decline followed increases in January and February. Many economists had expected an increase in March, making March’s decline somewhat of a surprise.

These facts and more are provided in a new monthly publication, Rail Time Indicators, from the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Rail Time Indicators provides rail data in the context of broader economic data. Rail indicators are often cited as a key measure of a healthy economy. Current data on more than a dozen key economic indicators including employment, housing starts and vehicle sales is discussed in the report which will be issued monthly by the AAR.

“Our goal is to provide our members and others with a non-technical, all-in-one-place snapshot of the economy and rail traffic to help them understand the broader economic forces at work,” explained AAR Senior Vice President John Gray.

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