Business Week Index

THE WEEK AHEAD

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX

Tuesday, July 30, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- Wage and benefit costs are expected to have

risen 0.8% in the second quarter, according to economists surveyed by MMS

International, one of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The index rose 0.7% in the

first quarter.

SINGLE-FAMILY HOME SALES

Tuesday, July 30, 10 a.m.EDT -- June sales of new houses are projected to dip

to an annual rate of 780,000, from 828,000 in May.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

Tuesday, July 30, 10 a.m.EDT -- Economists look for the Conference Board's July

index to rise to 98.6, up from 97.6 in June.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

Thursday, Aug. 1, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- Real GDP is expected to have grown at a 4%

annual rate in the second quarter, up from 2.2% in the first quarter.

PURCHASING MANAGERS' INDEX

Thursday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.EDT -- The nation's purchasing managers will report a

rise in their July index of industrial activity, to 55%, up from 54.3% in June,

the economists forecast.

CONSTRUCTION SPENDING

Thursday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.EDT -- June construction outlays are expected to show

a 0.5% gain, following a 0.9% drop in May.

LABOR MARKETS

Friday, Aug. 2, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- Nonfarm payrolls in July are projected to have

increased by 200,000, after June's 239,000 gain. The jobless rate is expected

to have edged up to 5.4%., from 5.3%.

PERSONAL INCOME

Friday, Aug. 2, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- Personal income in June probably jumped 0.9%,

reflecting the month's surges in hourly earnings and the workweek.

FACTORY INVENTORIES

Friday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m.EDT -- Manufacturers' inventories were nearly flat in

June, after a 0.2% dip in May.