by Calculated Risk on 9/27/2012 08:50:00 PM

The beatings continue in Europe ...

From the NY Times: Despite Public Protests, Spain’s 2013 Budget Plan Includes More Austerity

The Spanish government on Thursday presented a draft budget for 2013 with a package of tax increases and spending cuts that it said would guarantee the country could meet deficit-cutting targets agreed to with the rest of the euro zone.
...
The 2013 budget plan released Thursday is meant to help carry out a sweeping long-term austerity package outlined by Mr. Rajoy in July, which is aimed at reducing the central government’s budget deficit by 65 billion euros, or $84 billion, over two and a half years.

The plan involves an average cut of almost 9 percent in the spending of each government ministry next year. The salaries of civil servants will be frozen for a third consecutive year.

And from the NY Times: Greece Agrees on New Package of Budget Cuts and Taxes

The government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras must now present the proposed actions — $15 billion in cuts to pensions, salaries and state spending, and at least $2.6 billion in new taxes — for further discussion with the foreign lenders, who have demanded them in return for releasing the next portion of aid to the stricken country.
...
The government did not release specifics of the agreement, though it is said to call for a rise in the retirement age to 67 from 65.

On Friday:
• At 8:30 AM ET, the Personal Income and Outlays report for August will be released. The consensus is for a 0.2% increase in personal income in August, and for 0.5% increase in personal spending. And for the Core PCE price index to increase 0.1%.

This will give us two months of data (July and August) to estimate consumer spending in Q3.

• At 9:45 AM, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index for September. The consensus is for an increase to 53.1, up from 53.0 in August.

• At 9:55 AM, the Reuter's/University of Michigan's Consumer sentiment index (final for September). The consensus is for a reading of 79.0, down from the preliminary September reading of 79.2, and up from the August reading of 74.3.


A final question for the September economic prediction contest: