Coronavirus
State Jobless Claims Post Larger-Than-Expected Decline
An employee coats bicycle frames with powder paint in South Carolina. (Micah Green/Bloomberg News)
Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance fell last week by more than projected, reaching a fresh pandemic low and suggesting that dismissals are abating as the economy reopens and labor demand rises.
July 1, 2021US Economy Grows 6.4% in Q1
Lynne Sladky/Associated Press
The U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.4% rate in the first three months of the year, setting the stage for what economists believe may be the strongest year for the economy in about seven decades.
June 24, 2021Key US Oil Storage Hub Seen Depleting as Producers Hold Tight
Pipelines run toward oil storage tanks in Cushing, Okla. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News)
Crude oil inventories in America’s largest storage hub are falling fast as the post-pandemic demand rebound continues to outpace production.
June 24, 2021US Jobless Claims Tick Down to 411,000 as Economy Heals
Hiring signs sit outside a gas station in Pennsylvania. (Keith Srakocic/Associated Press)
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped in the week ended June 19, a sign that layoffs declined and the job market is improving.
June 24, 2021Some Used Vehicles Now Cost More Than Original Sticker Price
Used vehicles sit in a Colorado lot in November 2020. (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)
When it was new, the window sticker price on a typical 2019 Toyota Tacoma SR double cab pickup was just under $29,000. Two years later, dealers are paying almost $1,000 more than that to buy the same vehicle, even though it’s used.
June 23, 2021Fleets’ COVID-19 Safety Practices May Linger After Pandemic Ends
A contactless delivery. (UPS Inc.)
The COVID-19 outbreak prompted transportation companies to adopt a battery of safety measures — some of which may remain in place even after the pandemic is over.
June 21, 2021Unveiling the 2021 Top 100 For-Hire Carriers
UPS, which ranks No. 1 on the for-hire list, recently sold its LTL division UPS Freight to TFI. (Tim Boyle/Bloomberg News)
The trucking firms that appear on the 2021 Transport Topics Top 100 For-Hire Carriers list are split nearly evenly between companies that reported a revenue decline in 2020 and those that still managed to grow during the year of COVID-19.
June 18, 2021Jobless Claims Rise for First Time Since April
A hiring sign is displayed in Vernon Hills, Ill., on June 11. (Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press)
Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance rose slightly for the first time since late April, likely a temporary blip for a labor market that’s otherwise improving as the economy reopens.
June 17, 2021US Retail Sales Drop, Hinting at Shift to Spending on Services
A shopper views shoes at a store in New York in May. (Amir Hamja/Bloomberg News)
U.S. retail sales declined in May, after a stimulus-related splurge in the prior two months, suggesting consumers are starting to shift more of their spending to services as the economy reopens.
June 15, 2021Biggest Foreign Buyers of US Fuel Are About to Step on the Pedal
Bloomberg News
Brazil and Mexico are beginning to emerge from the pandemic and that’s boosting demand for road fuel in economies that buy more U.S. gasoline and diesel than any other foreign nation.
June 14, 2021