CHARTBOOKThe 35 economic charts from May you really should seeBy Matt PhillipsPublished June 1, 2014This article is more than 2 years old.Japanese inflation shot higher in April, thanks to the impact of tax hikesSouth Africa’s GDP shrank, amid contraction in the mining sectorKorean exports drove another massive current account surplus in Aprilno-captionIreland’s real estate rebound continued, with April property prices up 8.5%no-caption German manufacturing orders shrank sharply in Marchno-captionGermany’s job market was surprisingly weak in MayEuropean banks cut lending further, a major drag on growthFrench unemployment hit another recordBrazil’s economy eked out 0.2% growth in the first quarterUS consumer sentiment slipped in May, with a gloomy view on wage growthIndia’s economy remained sluggish, amid the worst slowdown in decadesUS first-quarter growth worse than first thought, but markets shrugged it offJapanese machinery orders surged, a good sign for business spendingChinese housing, a top worry for global investors, lost more momentumTaiwan’s export economy showed signs of gaining strengthUS consumer debt grew, another sign the great de-leveraging is overJapan’s newly acquired trade deficit narrowed, but its very existence is still a big changeChina’s manufacturing engine continued to look weak, though less weak than beforeWeekly claims data showed US job market momentum continuesUS existing home sales rose for the first time this yearAnd US new home sales rebounded too Mexico struggled to shake off last year’s sluggish growth in the first quarterRussia’s trade surplus jumped in March, as imports collapsedApril US retail sales slowed down after a big March jumpUS small business optimism hit a post-crisis highUK unemployment hit a five-year lowEuro zone first-quarter GDP growth was disappointingUS student debt continues to grow…But Americans are still avoiding credit card debtJapanese first-quarter GDP grew sharplyBrazilian retail sales shrank outright in MarchUS housing starts jumped, with gains in apartment buildingUS inflation rose, on higher gas and food prices…Amid sharp increases in some items, such as beefIn April the US crept closer—within 120,000 jobs—to recovering all the jobs lost during the Great Recession📬 Kick off each morning with coffee and the Daily Brief (BYO coffee).Sign me upBy providing your email, you agree to the Quartz Privacy Policy.Copy