U.S. Housing Starts Plunge Much More Than Expected In March

RTTNews | 21 days ago
U.S. Housing Starts Plunge Much More Than Expected In March

(RTTNews) - A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed new residential construction in the U.S. pulled back by much more than expected in the month of March.

The Commerce Department said housing starts plunged by 11.4 percent to an annual rate of 1.324 million in March after surging by 9.8 percent to a revised rate of 1.494 million in February.

Economists had expected housing starts to tumble by 5.4 percent to an annual rate of 1.420 million from the 1.501 million originally reported for the previous month.

Meanwhile, the report said building permits jumped by 1.6 percent to an annual rate of 1.482 million in March after falling by 1.0 percent to a revised rate of 1.459 million in February.

Building permits, an indicator of future housing demand, were expected to decrease by 0.4 percent to an annual rate of 1.450 million from the 1.456 million originally reported for the previous month.

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U.S. Wholesale Inventories Climb Slightly Less Than Expected In March

U.S. Wholesale Inventories Climb Slightly Less Than Expected In March

The Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing wholesale inventories in U.S. increased by slightly less than expected in the month of March. The report said wholesale inventories rose by 0.4 percent in March after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.5 percent in February.
RTTNews | 18h 17min ago
U.S. Labor Productivity Decreases For First Time Since 2022

U.S. Labor Productivity Decreases For First Time Since 2022

The Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing a pullback by U.S. labor productivity in the first quarter of 2025 along with a sharp increase by unit labor costs. The report said labor productivity fell by 0.8 percent in the first quarter after jumping by an upwardly revised 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024.
RTTNews | 18h 51min ago
U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Dip Slightly More Than Expected

U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Dip Slightly More Than Expected

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits saw a modest decline in the week ended May 3rd, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said initial jobless claims dipped to 228,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 241,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to slip to 230,000.
RTTNews | 18h 56min ago
U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Dip To 228,000

U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Dip To 228,000

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits saw a modest decline in the week ended May 3rd, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
RTTNews | 20h 25min ago
Fed Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged, Warns Of Higher Unemployment, Inflation.

Fed Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged, Warns Of Higher Unemployment, Inflation.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced its widely expected decision to leave interest rates unchanged, highlighting increased uncertainty about the economic outlook. The Fed said it decided to leave the target for the federal funds rate at 4.25 to 4.50 percent for the third straight meeting.
RTTNews | 1 day ago
U.S. Trade Deficit Spikes To Record High In March As Import Surge

U.S. Trade Deficit Spikes To Record High In March As Import Surge

The U.S. trade deficit spiked by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday. The report said the trade deficit soared to a record high $140.5 billion in March from a revised $123.2 billion in February.
RTTNews | 2 days ago