Fed Says Economy Shows Signs of Slowdown

Transport Topics, June, 2006 by Anonymous

The U.S. economy continued expand from mid-April through early June, but there were signs of deceleration in some areas, the Federal Reserve said June 14.

The Fed s latest "Beige Book" report said demand for trucking, shipping and rail services remained strong throughout the country, but companies cited difficulty finding and retaining drivers in some districts.

In other economic news:

* U.S. industrial production dipped 0.1% in May, the Fed said.

* The producer price index rose 0.2% in May, the Labor Department said, while the rate excluding food and energy rose 0.3%.

* Consumer prices rose 0.4% in May, while the core consumer price index rose 0.3%, Labor said. - Transport Topics