After Several Months of Declines, Insurance Claims Tick Up

Since hitting a record 6.9 million at the end of March, initial claims have fallen, albeit gradually, for the past 15 weeks. That streak ended last week: the Labor Department reported 1.4 million new claims for the week ending July 14, up by 109,000 from the previous week.

June Existing Home Sales Jump Record 20.7%

Existing home sales rebounded at a record pace in June, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday, showing strong signs of a market turnaround after three straight months of sales declines caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Housing Starts Post Healthy June Gain

July has been a good month for the housing industry thus far; HUD and the Census Bureau kept the momentum going Friday with a positive report on housing starts.

Initial Claims Down Slightly Amid Continued Disruption

Initial claims filed with the Labor Department totaled 1.3 million last week, a decrease of just 10,000 from the previous week and a stark reminder of how the coronavirus pandemic has upended the U.S. economy.

Unemployment Claims Top 1M for 16th Consecutive Week

The good news: initial claims fell for the 14th consecutive week, the Labor Department said yesterday. The bad news: despite the decrease, initial claims topped one million for the 14th consecutive week and look as if they will continue to do so for several more weeks.

May Pending Home Sales Back in Happy Place

Pending home sales mounted a record comeback in May, the National Association of Realtors said yesterday, jumping by more than 44 percent after two monthly declines stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Initial Claims Level Again at 1.5 Million

American workers filed 1.5 million new applications for jobless benefits last weeks, the Labor Department reported Friday—the third consecutive week at that level, but still at historically high levels in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.