Reade Pickert
US Jobless Claims Fall More Than Forecast to Pandemic Low
A worker dresses a mannequin at a store in Alabama. (Maranie Staab/Bloomberg News)
U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week to the lowest since the pandemic started, in a broad decline across nearly all states, suggesting the labor market is improving.
August 6, 2020US Incomes Fall in June as One-Time Stimulus Boost Fades
Pedestrians wearing masks walk near a Chipotle in San Francisco on July 20. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News)
U.S. incomes fell more than expected in June as the effects of the government’s one-time stimulus checks dissipated, though an increase in unemployment-insurance payments pointed to the importance of expiring federal relief.
July 31, 2020Disappointing Home Construction Starts Belie Firmer Market
A worker stands at a housing construction site in New York on May 15. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg News)
U.S. home construction starts rose less than forecast in May, indicating builders were slow to resume work and contrasting more recent data that points to a pickup in housing demand.
June 17, 2020US Business Debt Soars by Record on Bond Issuance, Loans
Chairs and tables sit inside a closed restaurant in Times Square in New York on April 21. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg News)
U.S. nonfinancial business debt soared in the first quarter by the most in records back to 1952, as bank loans and corporate bond issuance jumped in companies’ all-out effort to stay liquid during the coronavirus pandemic.
June 11, 2020Jobless Claims Extend Gradual Decline, Remain Elevated
Pedestrians walk through Brookfield Place shopping center in New York on June 10. (Sarah Blesener/Bloomberg News)
Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits gradually eased last week despite a stream of business reopenings, underscoring the longer-term labor-market challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
June 11, 2020US Jobless Claims Slow While Underscoring Persistent Weakness
A commuter boards a Chicago Transit Authority train on June 3. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg News)
As business reopenings picked up nationwide, Americans filed nearly 2 million applications for unemployment benefits last week, reflecting a slowing — though far from a halt — in job losses.
June 4, 2020US Consumer Spending Plunges While Stimulus Boosts Incomes
A customer wears a protective mask while loading purchases from a Home Depot store in Reston, Virginia, on May 21. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News)
U.S. consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of the world’s largest economy, plunged in April by the most on record after the coronavirus pandemic halted purchases of all but the most essential goods and services.
May 29, 2020US Economy Hits Record Lows in April Retail, Factory Data
A Statue of Liberty sculpture stands on display inside a souvenir shop temporarily closed in New York on May 12. (Demetrius Freeman/Bloomberg News)
U.S. retail sales and factory output registered the steepest declines on record in April, illustrating a recession so deep that it likely will take years to fully recover.
May 15, 2020US Trade Plummeted in March With Record Drop in Exports
Gantry cranes stand above the APM shipping terminal in the Port of Los Angeles on May 1. (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg News)
U.S. exports of goods and services plunged in March by a record and imports declined by the most in 11 years as the coronavirus pandemic stymied trade and travel.
May 5, 2020Smaller Share of US Small Businesses Unable to Fill Positions
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U.S. small businesses found it a little easier to fill jobs in December, consistent with a moderating, yet still-robust, labor market, National Federation of Independent Business data showed Jan. 9.
January 9, 2020