Economic Calendar - Currencies

In Australia, job advertisements measure the number of jobs advertised in the major daily newspapers and internet sites covering the capital cities.

In Switzerland, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.

In Brazil, interest rate decisions are taken by The Central Bank of Brazil's Monetary Policy Committee (COPOM). The official interest rate is the Special System of Clearance and Custody rate (SELIC) which is the overnight lending rate.

The Gross Fixed Investment in Mexico measures the total value of all acquisitions of fixed assets, both tangible and intangible, obtained as a result of a production process. Those are only ones which can be repeatedly used in other production processes in a period longer than one year. The value represents a year over year change of the gross fixed investment, obtained by aggregating the constant values of machinery and equipment of both national and foreign origin and of construction. They are: buildings, machinery, equipment, transport equipment, software, literary originals and other tangible and intangible fixed assets and additions and upgrades meant to prolong the usage or increase capacity. Considering the machinery and equipment of national origin, only new products are counted. Both new and used imported machinery and equipment increase the value of assets available in the country. The construction gross fixed investment index refers to the investment cost valued at the buyers cost.

The Gross Fixed Investment in Mexico measures the total value of all acquisitions of fixed assets, both tangible and intangible, obtained as a result of a production process. Those are only ones which can be repeatedly used in other production processes in a period longer than one year. The value represents a year over year change of the gross fixed investment, obtained by aggregating the constant values of machinery and equipment of both national and foreign origin and of construction. They are: buildings, machinery, equipment, transport equipment, software, literary originals and other tangible and intangible fixed assets and additions and upgrades meant to prolong the usage or increase capacity. Considering the machinery and equipment of national origin, only new products are counted. Both new and used imported machinery and equipment increase the value of assets available in the country. The construction gross fixed investment index refers to the investment cost valued at the buyers cost.

The Composite Output Index is a weighted average of the Manufacturing Output Index and the Services Business Activity Index. The weights reflect the relative size of the manufacturing and service sectors according to official GDP data. The Composite Output Index may be referred to as the ‘Composite PMI’ but is not comparable with the headline manufacturing PMI figure.

The S&P Global Canada Services PMI is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to a panel of around 400 service sector companies. The sectors covered include consumer (excluding retail), transport, information, communication, finance, insurance, real estate and business services. The panel is stratified by detailed sector and company workforce size, based on contributions to GDP. Survey responses indicate the direction of change compared to the previous month. The indices vary between 0 and 100, with a reading above 50 indicating an overall increase compared to the previous month, and below 50 an overall decrease. The headline figure is the Services Business Activity Index, which is a diffusion index calculated from a question that asks for changes in the volume of business activity compared with one month previously.

In Canada, benchmark interest rate is set by the Bank of Canada's (BoC) Governing Council. The official interest rate is the Overnight Rate. Since 1996 the Bank Rate is set at the upper limit of an operating band for the money market overnight rate. Previously, from March 1980 until February 1996 the Bank Rate was set at 25 basis points above the weekly average tender rate for 3-month Treasury bills.

In Canada, benchmark interest rate is set by the Bank of Canada's (BoC) Governing Council. The official interest rate is the Overnight Rate. Since 1996 the Bank Rate is set at the upper limit of an operating band for the money market overnight rate. Previously, from March 1980 until February 1996 the Bank Rate was set at 25 basis points above the weekly average tender rate for 3-month Treasury bills.

In the last few years, Brazil has been reporting trade surpluses, primarily due to high exports in the manufacturing industry (54 percent of total exports), mining (23 percent) and agricultural products (22 percent). Brazil's main imports are in the manufacturing industry (89 percent of total imports) with fuels and fertilizers comprising 18 percent of total imports. The biggest trade partners are: China (27 percent of total exports and 22 percent of total imports), the United States (11 percent of exports and 19 percent of imports), Argentina (5 percent of exports and 5 percent of imports). Others include: the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, Germany and Spain.

In Japan, wage growth refers to changes in average cash earnings, including contractual and special cash earnings, in companies with five or more employees.

In Japan, Household Spending YoY refers to the annual change of consumption expenditures (on food, housing, utilities, furniture, clothing, health, education, transport, communication, leisure activities, etc.) in real terms for two-or-more-person households including agricultural, forestry and fisheries households.

In Japan, non-scheduled cash earnings are the wages paid for work performed outside scheduled working hours, and on days off or night work, that is allowances for working outside work hours, night work, early morning work, and overnight duty.

In Japan, Household Spending MoM refers to the monthly change of consumption expenditures (on food, housing, utilities, furniture, clothing, health, education, transport, communication, leisure activities, etc.) in real terms for two-or-more-person households including agricultural, forestry and fisheries households.

In Japan, Foreign Exchange Reserves are the foreign assets held or controlled by the country central bank. The reserves are made of gold or a specific currency. They can also be special drawing rights and marketable securities denominated in foreign currencies like treasury bills, government bonds, corporate bonds and equities and foreign currency loans.