Existing home sales plunged in April, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday, continuing a two-month skid in sales brought on by the coronavirus pandemic to the lowest level in nearly 10 years.
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Labor Dept. Reports 2.4 Million New Jobless Claims; Total Now 38.6 Million
Another 2.4 million Americans filed initial jobless claims last week, the Labor Department reported yesterday, bringing to 38.6 million workers who have applied for unemployment assistance since the coronavirus pandemic clobbered the U.S. economy nine weeks ago.
April Housing Starts Follow Now-Familiar COVID-19 Pattern
Housing starts, which fell by more than 22 percent in March, fell by another 30 percent in April to the lowest level since 2013 as the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic slammed home.
Initial Claims Tapering, But Remain High
Nearly three million Americans applied for initial unemployment claims last week—the lowest level in eight weeks but still highly elevated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Labor Dept. Reports 20.5 Million April Job Losses; Unemployment Rate Jumps to 14.7%
One of the worst weeks in U.S. economic history ended Friday with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a staggering 20.5 million jobs lost in April and the unemployment rate jumping to its highest level since the Great Depression.
Coronavirus-Related Initial Claims Top 33.5 Million
The Labor Department yesterday reported an additional 3.17 million initial unemployment claims filed the week ending May 2, bringing total claims filed over the past seven weeks to 33.5 million.
March Pending Home Sales Tumble by Nearly 21%
As expected, March pending home sales fell as the early effects of the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday.
1st Quarter GDP Takes a Hit—And It Will Probably Get Worse
The Bureau of Economic Analysis yesterday reported its first (advance) estimate of first quarter gross domestic product saw the U.S. economy contract by nearly 5 percent as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic kicked in.
April Consumer Confidence Takes Another Dive
The Conference Board, New York, said its Consumer Confidence Index deteriorated further in April, following a sharp decline in March. The Index now stands at 86.9, its lowest level since 2014, down from 118.8 in March and 130.7 in February.
March New Home Sales Feel Brunt of Coronavirus
The expected hit to new home sales from the coronavirus pandemic fully manifested itself in March, falling by more than 15 percent from February to its lowest level in six years, HUD and the Census Bureau reported yesterday.