The indicator shows the number of unemployed people in the USA.

Continuing claims refers to unemployed workers that qualify for benefits under unemployment insurance. In order to be included in continuing claims, the person must have been covered by unemployment insurance and be currently receiving benefits. Data on unemployment claims is published by the Department of Labor on a weekly basis, allowing for frequent updates on the levels of unemployment.

Measures the output produced for each hour of labor worked. Non-farm Productivity is considered the most accurate gauge of overall business health, given farming data's small and volatile contribution to GDP. To businesses, higher productivity indicates efficient use of employees and capital. Given that labor costs make up more than two-thirds of the average businesses expenses, high productivity can allow a firm to fulfill consumer demand with less labor costs, boosting profitability. Thus trends in this report can precede investment spending and business growth. Also if prices for raw materials increase, improved productivity can save a firm from passing higher costs to the end consumer. Given such business effects, healthy productivity growth bodes well for the economy as a whole, signalling increased production capability and business growth.

Productivity is reported as output per hour per worker, categorized into industry figures.

On a Technical Note: The Non-Farm Productivity number is generated by comparing the number of hours worked (Employment Situation report) to Gross Domestic Product data.

The indicator reflects the quarterly changes in salaries and other income received by working population.

Construction Spending gauges the level of construction activity in the United States . The Construction Spending report looks at both residential and non-residential construction. The construction industry makes a significant contribution to the United States GDP in the form of investment expenditure as well as stimulus of industries related to building. Furthermore, since builders are unlikely to pour money into construction projects unless they feel the economy favors their investment, changes in business sentiment like this are usually quickly seen in construction figures. However, the report has little significance for market participants because of its untimely release. By the time the report is announced, other reports, such as Building Permits and Building Starts have already provided similar information.

The report headline is the percentage change from the previous month.

Technical notes: The construction industry is a major force to the United States economy, even without including non-construction businesses that are tied to building, such as finance, the furnishing industry, appliance industry and other manufacturing. Private Construction activity can be an effective indicator of business confidence.

Weekly report about natural gas storage change in the USA.

Measures the outstanding debt held by consumers. Consumer Credit levels coincide with the economy, rising during economic expansion and dropping during a recession. Growth in Consumer Credit means that consumers have higher spending ability, which can fuel economic growth. However, too much Consumer Debt can result in an economic slowdown in the long term if consumers become overburdened with debt, then either reducing consumption or passing debt on to the financers after bankruptcy. The headline value is the outstanding debt held by consumers.

John C. Williams is President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

The average amount of pre-tax earnings per regular employee, including overtime pay and bonuses.

Evaluates the monthly change in output produced by Japan's service sector. Because this report excludes manufacturing and only measures service industries catering mainly to domestic needs, the Tertiary Industry Index is a key indicator of domestic activity. The index incorporates data from firms involved in wholesale and retail trade, financial services, health care, real estate, leisure and utilities. The report excludes industrial manufacturing sectors that tend to be influenced by foreign demand. The tertiary industry index is posted monthly as a percentage change from the previous month's figure.

An index level of 50 denotes no change since the previous month, while a level above 50 signals an increase or improvement, and below 50 indicates a decrease or deterioration.

Measures the per volume change in output from mining, quarrying, manufacturing, energy and construction sectors in Germany. Industrial production is significant as a short-term indicator of the strength of German industrial activity. High or rising Industrial Production figures suggest increased production and economic expansion, healthy for the Euro. However, uncontrolled levels of production and consumption can spark inflation.

The report is only a preliminary estimate figure that does not move the markets much. The figure is released in headlines as a monthly percent change.

The difference between the value of exports and imports in Germany. Trade Balance is one of the biggest components of Germany 's Balance of Payment. As Germany is Europe's largest economy and given Germany's export oriented economy, trade data can give critical insight into pressures on the value of the Euro.

In order to gauge the effect of German Trade Balance on the Euro, German trade is separated into intra-Eurozone trades and extra-Eurozone trades. Intra-trades between Germany and Eurozone countries have no affect on the overall valuation of Euro. Extra-trades between Germany and other countries outside of Eurozone do impact the overall Eurozone trade balance. Given Germany's large share of Eurozone exports, the figure tends to move the market upon release.

Trade surpluses reflect funds coming into Germany in exchange for goods and services. Such currency inflows may lead to a natural appreciation of a Euro, unless countered by similar capital outflows. At a bare minimum, surpluses will boost up the value of the currency.

The headline figure for trade balance is expressed in billions of Euros.