Statistical Notes Tuesday October 18

-British consumer price inflation rose from 4.5% to 5.2% in September. During the latest 6 years, inflation has averaged 3.2%, meaning that it has systematically exceeded not just the 2% target, but also the supposed 3% ceiling that according to law compels Barn of England Governor Mervyn King to write an explanatory letter to the Chancellor of the exchequer.

-Consistent with the latest manufacturing survey, U.S. industrial production rose 0.2% in September, while retail sales rose 1.1% in nominal terms.

Meanwhile, producer prices rose in September by 0.8% compared to the previous month and by 6.9% compared to September 2010.

-Canadian house prices rose 6.5%, meaning that the Canadian housing bubble continues to grow larger.

-Third quarter GDP growth in Singapore was just 0.3% (1.3% annualized) compared to Q2 2011, but yearly growth still increased from 1% to 5.9% because third quarter growth was negative last year.

-Third quarter GDP growth in China fell back to a lower than expected 9.1% from 9.5%, but growth in both retail sales (from 17% to 17.7%) and industrial production (from 13.5% to 13.8%) increased in September compared to August.

-Employment in Hong Kong grew by 3.8% and full-time employment grew by 4% in the latest year. Full-time unemployment therefore fell from 4.2% to 3.2% and part-time unemployment from 1.9% to 1.7% even as the labor force grew by 2.8%