March Retail Sales , Exceeded Expectations.
New Commerce Department data surprised
some analysts on April 15, 'The Hill' reports. .
The agency's latest estimates indicate
that March retail sales increased by 0.7%.
They were only expected
to rise 0.3% last month.
While sales exceeded estimates for March, the jump
was still below the 0.9% increase in February.
Compared to the same time last year, total sales
for the first three months of 2024 were up 2.1%.
On April 10, the Labor Department released data showing that inflation rose last month. .
The consumer price index (CPI)
increased 0.4% in March and 3.5% annually.
In February, consumer prices
increased 3.2% year-over-year. .
Still, the newest Commerce Department data suggests that Americans continue to spend despite prolonged inflation, 'The Hill' reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Data Shows , US Wages Falling , at a 'Striking' Pace.
Fox News reports that wage growth
in the United States has slowed
significantly over the past year. .
According to new data from Indeed,
wage growth is beginning
to near pre-pandemic levels. .
Indeed's wage tracker showed that salaries have had
a marked drop since January 2022, suggesting that
employers are seeing less competition for new hires.
The pace of deceleration
is striking. Posted wage growth
has fallen by almost 3 percentage
points over the past year, Nick Bunker, Indeed labor economist, via Fox News.
Fox News reports that the most pronounced
deceleration was found in low-wage sectors. .
Given the huge run-up in posted
wages for those sectors, wage growth
is still above its pre-pandemic pace.
How long this will last is uncertain, Nick Bunker, Indeed labor economist, via Fox News.
After remaining historically tight throughout the last
year, the labor market is expected to continue slowing
in the coming months amid elevated interest rates.
Since March of 2022, the Federal Reserve has increased interest rates 11 times in an attempt to slow down inflation and cool the labor market.
Since March of 2022, the Federal Reserve has increased interest rates 11 times in an attempt to slow down inflation and cool the labor market.
In 2024, there have already been a number of significant layoffs, with major companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Citigroup cutting jobs. .
In 2024, there have already been a number of significant layoffs, with major companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Citigroup cutting jobs. .
In 2024, there have already been a number of significant layoffs, with major companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Citigroup cutting jobs. .
Despite this, job growth has
remained resilient, with employers
adding 275,000 jobs in February. .
At the same time, Labor Department
data shows that the unemployment
rate for the month also rose to 3.9%.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
![March Retail Sales Exceeded Expectations [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20240416/1372826444-March-Retail-Sales-Exceeded-Expectations.jpg)
![Data Shows US Wages Falling at a 'Striking' Pace [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20240319/1369527240-Data-Shows-US-Wages-Falling-at-Striking.jpg)
![Weekly Jobless Claims Higher Than Anticipated Despite Signs of Improvement [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20210402/2104021128-Weekly-Jobless-Claims-Higher-Than-Anticipated-Despite-Signs.jpg)
