A leading indicator for Australian economic activity calculated by Melbourne Institute.

The difference between the total value of exports and the total value of imports. A positive figure indicates a trade surplus while a negative value represents a trade deficit. Because Japan 's economy is highly export-led, trade data can give critical insight into developments in Japan 's economy and changes into foreign exchange rates.

A surplus reflects capital flowing into Japan in exchange for Japanese exports, and a deficit means that capital is flowing out of Japan as imports are purchased in larger volumes by Japanese consumers. A trade surplus will act as an appreciating weight on the Yen, whereas a trade deficit will place downward pressure on the Yen's value.

Details in the Trade Balance report itself give useful insight into changing trends regarding Japanese trade. Such developments are especially important for the country, which is an export-oriented economy that has historically experienced large trade surpluses. Any affect on this could have dramatic affect on the domestic economy.

The headline figure for trade balance is expressed in millions of Yen and usually accompanied by a year-on-year percentage change figure.

Measures quarterly changes in Australian wages. Two versions of the Labor Price Index exist: one which includes bonuses, and one which excludes them. The Labor Price Index is similar to the US Employment Cost Index, an early indicator of wages pressure on inflation. An increase in the index suggests rising inflation pressures because firms tend to eventually pass higher labor costs onto consumers in the form of higher prices.

The headline figure is the quarterly percentage change in the Labor Price Index.

Technical note: The index is constructed by combining 8 separate indexes. The 4 wage price indices are:
• ordinary time hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses index
• ordinary time hourly rates of pay including bonuses index
• total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses index
• total hourly rates of pay including bonuses index

The 4 non-wage price indices are:
• annual and public holiday leave
• superannuation
• payroll tax
• workers' compensation

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) releases this statement in connection to its recent decision on short-term interest rates. Interest rates are a primary determinant of a currency's value and these statements are used by traders to determine future monetary policy decisions.