September Consumer Confidence Rebounds from 6-Year Low

The Conference Board, New York, said its September Consumer Confidence Index posted its strongest one-month increase in 17 years, after falling in July and August to a six-year low.

Initial Claims Persist at Disconcerting Rate

Initial claims for unemployment insurance ticked back up last week, the Labor Department reported yesterday—another indicator of just how persistent economic conditions have been since the coronavirus hit this past winter and spring.

August New Home Sales Continue Summer Surge

New home sales topped the one million mark, seasonally adjusted, in August for the first time since 2006, HUD and the Census Bureau reported yesterday.

August Existing Home Sales at 14-Year High

Existing home sales reached their highest level since before the Great Recession, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday.

After Strong Summer, August Housing Starts Underwhelm

Housing starts—one of the bright spots in a red-hot summer housing market—faltered in August, HUD and the Census Bureau reported yesterday, although most of the decline took place in multifamily.

Unemployment Claims Fall Back Under 1 Million—With an Asterisk

Initial claims for unemployment fell under one million last week for just the second time since March, but the change largely reflected a change in methodology by the Labor Department and remain elevated by historical standards.

Initial Claims Dip But Hold Above 1 Million

Initial unemployment claims for the week ending Aug. 22 fell slightly from last week but remained above one million, as the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic continues to prove difficult.