The Chicago Business Barometer contracted at the fastest pace since July 2009, falling 5.8 points to 42.9 in December from 48.7 in November. It has been a volatile year for the Barometer. New Orders and Production have experienced particularly large swings with businesses never recovering fully from a sharp plunge at the beginning of the year. The Barometer’s December print is 16.5 points beneath the January high of 59.4. The quarterly average declined to 49.3 in Q4, the same as in Q2 which was the weakest quarter since Q3 2009. Order Backlogs provided a particular drag in December, registering a 17.2 point fall to ... (full story)