US job openings surged, though hiring is lagging
US jobless claims rose slightly, but remain quite low by recent standards
US capacity utilization hit a post-crisis high, but still showed no danger of overheating
Even as US retail sales were flat in July
And the world’s largest retailer eked out only a bit of profit growth
US consumer sentiment slipped slightly in August
German economic growth contracted in the second quarter
Putin was weighing on German investor sentiment
And German bond yields fell to fresh all-time lows on Ukraine unrest
The British economy kept up its momentum, growing 0.8% in the second quarter
…As UK unemployment fell to the lowest since since late 2008
Japan’s economy contracted sharply in the second quarter
Chinese bank loans dropped sharply in July after a big boom in June
The Greek depression continued with a 24th consecutive quarter of contraction
Turkish unemployment fell to 8.8%, the lowest since last June
